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Burns


Burns are soft tissue injuries caused primarily by heat. They range in severity from those that do not require medical attention to those that are life-threatening and disfiguring.

Burns may be caused by:

  • dry heat - fire, hot or molten metal or a live electrical wire or lightning
  • chemicals - acids or alkalines
  • friction - rope running through unprotected hands, from grass or carpet
  • radiation - the sun, welding
  • scalds - hot fluid or steam

The severity of burns depends on:
  • the age of the casualty
  • the depth of the burns
  • the part of the body that has been burnt
  • the size of the burnt area

Burns are classified according to the affected depth of the tissues which include superficial, partial thickness and full thickness burns (previously known as first degree, second degree and third degree burns).

Superficial
Reddening (like sunburn) outer layer of the skin — usually painful. These burns normally heal within three to seven days. Some minor swelling may occur.

Image above: Superficial burn

Partial thickness
Blistering and damage to both the superficial and deep layers of the skin. Skin will look moist and mottled pink or red with white patches. Straw-coloured liquid may ooze from the blisters. Healing can take several weeks.



Image above: Partial thickness burn

Full thickness
Whitish or blackened areas, with damage to all layers of the skin down to the subcutaneous fatty layer, including underlying structures such as muscles, blood vessels, nerves and bones. There is less pain as nerves in the deep layer of the dermis are destroyed. However, all deep burns are associated with superficial burns, so the casualty will experience pain.



Image above: Full thickness burn