Item
Ointment
Updated:
Treats Rashes — also the manual fallback for Patient on Fire event when no Fire Extinguisher is in reach. Slower than Fire Extinguisher but viable as backup.
Overview
Ointment is the trauma-treatment item for Rashes and Burns. The primary use is the Rashes condition — standard cabinet application, condition resolves. The secondary use is more interesting: Ointment is the manual fallback for the Patient on Fire event when no Fire Extinguisher is available.
For the fire event, the workflow is: stop the patient (prevent them running and spreading damage), apply Ointment. The chain consumes most of the 60-second event window, which makes Ointment significantly slower than Fire Extinguisher (instant projectile-spray resolution). Use Ointment only when the Fire Extinguisher is on cooldown, drained, or out of physical reach. Otherwise Fire Extinguisher is the primary fire-event response.
Video Guide
Effect & Mechanics
- Treats the Rashes patient condition
- Manual fallback for Patient on Fire event (slower than Fire Extinguisher)
- Single-use per application
- Standard cabinet stock — available from shift start
- Part of the trauma-treatment triangle (Bandages / Medkit / Ointment)
When to Use vs Skip
Pros
- ✓ Patient confirmed with Rashes via red skin marks / blistering visual cue
- ✓ Patient on Fire event when Fire Extinguisher is unavailable (last-resort fallback)
Cons
- ✗ Patient on Fire event when Fire Extinguisher is in reach — much faster resolution
- ✗ Patient has Bleeding (use Bandages) or Bruises (use Medkit) — wrong-treatment penalty
- ✗ Other condition presentations — Ointment is Rashes/Burns specific
At a Glance
At a Glance
- Cost
- Free (cabinet stock)
- Type
- treatment
- Available from
- Shift 1
- Uses
- 1 per application
How to Use This Item
For Rashes (primary use): pull Ointment from the standard treatment cabinet, approach the Rashes patient (confirmed via red marks or blistering), apply. Condition resolves on application. Same workflow as other trauma-triangle items.
For Patient on Fire event (secondary use): the manual chain is stop-patient → apply Ointment. This takes most of the 60-second event window, so commit early. The workflow is significantly slower than Fire Extinguisher's projectile-spray resolution, and during the application window the patient continues to take fire damage. Use only when Fire Extinguisher is unavailable.
Diagnostic discipline for the trauma triangle:
- Bleeding (active fluid) → Bandages
- Bruises (discolouration) → Medkit
- Rashes/Burns (red marks, blistering) → Ointment
Wrong-treatment penalty applies between these three even within the trauma category.
Patch History
No documented balance changes to Ointment mechanics. The manual-fallback workflow for Patient on Fire event has been stable across documented updates.
Item Synergies
Frequently Asked Questions
- Rashes. Single-condition primary use — topical ointment for skin irritation and blistering.
- Indirectly — it's the manual fallback for the Patient on Fire event when no Fire Extinguisher is available. Stop the patient first, then apply Ointment. Slower than Fire Extinguisher and consumes most of the 60-second event window.
- No — Fire Extinguisher is the primary response and is much faster. Use Ointment only as fallback when Fire Extinguisher is on cooldown, drained, or out of reach.
- Standard treatment cabinet stock. Free to use.
- Ointment treats burns and rashes generally. The Patient on Fire event is the specific use case where it's the manual fallback for active fire damage.
What condition does Ointment primarily treat?
Can Ointment put out fires?
Should I use Ointment instead of Fire Extinguisher for fire events?
Where do I get Ointment?
Can Ointment treat burns from sources other than the fire event?
A dual-use treatment item
Ointment is one of the few cabinet items with a documented secondary application:
- Primary: Treats the Rashes condition.
- Secondary: Manual fallback for the Patient on Fire event when no Fire Extinguisher is available.
The secondary use matters during ambulance waves at Shift 4+ when Fire Extinguishers are in heavy rotation and you can't always reach the wall case in time. Ointment-on-burning-patient is the salvage option.
The 60-second window
Per the Techwiser events guide, the manual Patient on Fire counter is "hands + ointment within window". The 60-second emergency timer must include stopping the patient AND applying the Ointment. Both steps inside the window, otherwise the patient dies.
Fire Extinguisher is the cleaner play (one-shot, instant). Ointment is the backup. Don't try to apply Ointment to a still-burning patient — extinguish first (hands or extinguisher), then Ointment.
Sources: Techwiser events guide, Sportskeeda items guide.