After cooling a burn, what should be done next?

After cooling a burn, the priority is to prevent further heat loss and maintain the patient’s body temperature. Covering a burn with a dry blanket serves two critical purposes: it helps retain heat in the body, which is essential for the overall physiological stability of the patient, and it serves as a protective layer to prevent contamination of the burn area.

This step is particularly important because a burn can lead to the loss of body fluids and heat regulation issues. Therefore, maintaining warmth is crucial to avoid shock and further complications, especially in a potentially vulnerable burn patient. Though other steps, like applying a sterile dressing, observing for infection, and keeping the patient cool, have their significance, the immediate focus following the cooling of the burn is to ensure warmth and protection.