Burns

Alternative Names

Burns

What is Burns

A burn is a minor injury that happens at home or work. You can get the minor burn from hot water, a curling iron or touching a hot stove. Some burns can be very serious and even life threatening.

There are 3 types of burns:

• First-degree burns damage only the outer layer of skin
• Second-degree burns damage the outer layer and the layer underneath
• Third-degree burns damage or destroy the deepest layer of skin and tissues underneath

Signs and symptoms

There is a list of the common signs and symptoms of burns:

• Red, swollen skin
• Pain, which may be severe
• Wet or moist-looking skin
• Blisters
• Waxy white, leathery or tan skin
• Blackened or charred skin

Possible complications

Deep burns can cause such complications as:

• Local infection. Due to burns our skin becomes vulnerable to bacterial infection, especially to staphylococcus infection.
• Widespread infection (sepsis). Sepsis occurs in your bloodstream and affects the whole your body. Sepsis is a rapidly progressing infection that can lead to shock and organ failure.
• Low blood volume (hypovolemia). Burns can damage blood vessels and cause fluid loss leading to hypovolemia. Severe blood and fluid loss prevents the heart from pumping enough blood to the body.
• Dangerously low body temperature (hypothermia). The skin controls the body's temperature, you lose body heat due to the burns. It increases your risk of getting hypothermia, It is a condition when the body loses heat faster than it can produce heat.
• Breathing (respiratory) problems due to breathing hot air or smoke.
• Scarring
• Bone and joint problems. Deep burns can limit movement of the bones and joints. Scar tissue can form and cause contractures when skin, muscles or tendons shorten and tighten, permanently pulling joints out of position.

What causes

Burns is typically caused by:

• Fire
• Household objects such as irons
• Boiling water
• Chemicals
• Electricity

Prevention

You should take the following steps helping to reduce your risk of getting burns:

• Never leave items cooking on the stove unattended.
• Turn pot handles toward the rear of the stove.
• Use sturdy oven mitts that cover hands and wrists.
• Keep hot liquids out of the reach of children and pets.
• Never cook while wearing loose fitting clothes that could catch fire over the stove.
• Keep space heaters away from combustible materials.
• Avoid smoking in the house and especially never smoke in bed.
• Check your smoke detectors and change their batteries yearly.
• Keep chemicals, lighters and matches out of the reach of children.
• Set your water heater's thermostat between 120 and 130 F (49 to 54 C) to prevent scalding.

Treatment

Treatment of minor burns

The treatment of the first-degree burns and small second-degree burns is possible at home. You should cool the skin and take pain relievers. Minor burns usually disappear within a couple days.

Treatment of serious burns

Medical treatment of burns in a hospital usually consists of:

• Assessment of the burn and any related conditions such as inhalation injuries. If not already done, clothing and jewelry are removed from the burned area.
• Intravenous (IV) fluids are used to prevent dehydration. Oral or IV pain medicines and antibiotics are taken in order to relieve pain and to prevent infection. Topical medications can also be used to the burned area to decrease pain and accelerate healing.
• Wound care. Doctors clean the burn and remove pieces of clothing or other debris from it.
• Depending on the size and location of the burn, the area may be covered with protective dressings in order to relieve pain and prevent the loss of heat and moisture through the wound.
• Skin grafting are used to help skin tissue regenerate, protect against scarring and speed up the process of healing.
• Surgery is necessary to close the wound, remove the dead tissue or treat related complications.