Burn (injury)

Burn injuries cause 300,000 deaths worldwide every year and affect the lives of millions who become disabled. Burns are the third leading cause of accidental death in the United States. About 4000 Americans die of burn injuries every year. Children are particularly prone to these injuries and about half of burn patients are below 18. Elderly people are often at extra risk because they have other health problems that make living with burn injuries all the more difficult.

The severity of a burn depends on how hot the skin gets and how long the burn lasts. The location is also important, because skin varies in thickness, water and oil content, the amount of subcutaneous fat, and the number of blood vessels from one location in the body to another. The diagnosis of a burn injury is based on how deep the injury is.

TREATMENT

Short-term treatment of burns can include antibiotics, bandages, escharectomies, and pressure garments. Skin grafts involve transplantation of skin from one area of the body to another. Some burns can be treated on an outpatient basis, while others require hospitalization. Choices about long term burn care depend on the severity of the burn injury as well as whether the patient suffered lung injury from inhaling smoke or chemicals and whether there were pre-existing medical problems.

How to Assess a Burn Injury

Assessing the severity of a burn is an important part of determining how to treat the burn, as well as deciding whether to evacuate the victim.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Look at the burn site: If the skin is red and painful but there are no blisters, chances are it's a superficial burn.
2. Look for blistering and wetness
and ask about degree of pain. If blistering is present and pain is severe, the burn is probably partial-thickness.
3. Consider a full-thickness burn if the injured person reports no pain, or just a dull pain, in the center of the burned area. The skin may also look charred and grayish in color.
4. Look at the injured person's palm: The surface area of the palm represents approximately 1 percent of the person's TBSA (total body surface area).
5. Compare this area to the extent of the burn to arrive at a TBSA figure. Burns covering more than 15 percent TBSA are life-threatening, especially partial- and full-thickness burns.
6. Continue with treatment for the burn