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Burn (injury)

Image:Burn 2nd degree 1.jpg Image:Burn 2nd degree 2.jpg Image:Burn 2nd degree 3.jpg

This article describes a type of injury. For other meanings of the word, see burn.

In medicine, a burn is a type of injury to the skincaused by heat, electricity, chemicals, or radiation (an example of the latter is sunburn).

Immediate first aidfor burns consists of immersing the injured area in cool clean water to cool the injured tissues.

There are in modern vernacular terminology three degrees of burns.

First-degree burns are usually limited to redness and painat the site
Second-degree burns additionally have blisteringof the skin
Third-degree burns additionally have charringof the skin or escharformation. An eschar is a scab that has separated from the unaffected part of the body. These are painless because at this stage the nerve endings are burnt away.

A newer classification of "Superficial Thickness", "Partial Thickness" (which is divided into superficial and deep categories) and "Full Thickness" relates more precisely to the epidermis, dermis and subcutaneous layers of skin and is used to guide treatment and predict outcome.

Burns that injure the tissues underlying the skin, such as the muscles or bones, are characterized as "fourth-degree burns". (In classical medical literature there were six degrees; with fourth-degree burns the skin is irretrievably lost, in fifth-degree burns the muscle is irretrievably lost, in sixth-degree burns the bone is charred). Serious burns, especially if they cover large areas of the body, can cause death; any hint of burn injury to the lungs, for example through smoke inhalation, is a medical emergency.

Chemical burns are usually caused by chemical compounds, such as sodium hydroxide(lye), silver nitrate, and more serious compounds (such as sulfuric acid). Note that most chemicals (but not all) that can cause moderate to severe chemical burns are strong acidsor bases. Nitric acidis possibly one of the worst burn-causing chemicals, as an oxidizer. Most chemicals that can cause moderate to severe chemical burns are called caustic.

Electrical burns are generally symptoms of electrocution, being struck by lightning, being defibrillated or cardiovertedwithout conductive gel, etc. The internal injuries sustained may be disproportionate to the size of the "burns" seen - as these are only the entry and exit wounds of the electrical current.

Survival and outcome (scars, contractures, complications) of severe burn injuries is remarkably improved if the patient is treated in a specialized burn center/unit rather than a hospital.

Scald

Scalding is a specific type of burning that is caused by hot fluids. Examples of common liquidsthat cause scalds are waterand cookingoil. Steamis a common gasthat causes scalds. The injury is usually regional and usually does not cause death. More damage can be caused if hot liquids can enter an orifice. However, deaths have occurred in more unusual circumstances, such as when people have accidentally broken a steam pipe.

Cold Burn

A cold burn is a kind of burn which arises when the skin is in contact with a low-temperature body. They can be caused by prolonged contact with moderately cold bodies (snow for instance) or brief contact with very cold bodies (dry ice, liquid nitrogen or liquid helium, for instance). In such a case, the heat transfers from the skin and organs to the external cold body (as opposed to most other situations where the body causing the burn is hotter, and transfers the heat into the skin and organs). The effects are very similar to a "regular" burn. The remedy is also the same as for any burn: for a small wound keep the injured organ under a flow of comfortably temperatured water; the heat will then transfer slowly from the water to the organs and help the wound. Further treatment or treatment of more extended wound also as usual.

Burn (injury)

Scald

Cold Burn

See also