From the Guidelines
Burns are injuries to the skin or other tissues caused by heat, electricity, chemicals, friction, or radiation, as evidenced by the 2024 American Heart Association and American Red Cross guidelines for first aid 1. According to the guidelines, thermal burns are specifically caused by contact with flames, hot liquids, hot surfaces, and hot gases 1. Key characteristics of burns include:
- Damage to skin and other tissues
- Caused by various factors such as heat, electricity, chemicals, friction, or radiation
- Classification into different types based on severity, including first-degree, second-degree, and third-degree burns
- Severity determined by factors such as depth, size, location, and the person's age and overall health The guidelines highlight the importance of immediate first aid care in reducing the consequences of burns, which can be damaging physically, functionally, cosmetically, and psychosocially 1. Understanding the indications for emergency department referral is crucial, as it can be lifesaving 1. Overall, burns are serious injuries that compromise the skin's protective barrier, increasing the risk of infection, fluid loss, and temperature regulation problems, emphasizing the need for prompt and proper treatment.
From the Research
Definition of Burns
- Burns are diverse and complex injuries that have local and systemic consequences, caused by heat, electricity, friction, chemicals, or radiation 2
- They can be classified into superficial, superficial partial-, deep partial-, and full-thickness injuries, with severity depending on size, depth, location, age, and underlying systemic diseases 2
- Burns are tissue wounds caused by thermal, electrical, chemical, cold, or radiation injuries, with deep injuries leading to dermal damage that impairs the skin's ability to heal and regenerate on its own 3
- Burns can be defined as large open surgical lesions that result in rupturing of the cutaneous membrane, with serious consequences such as extensive loss of proteins and body fluids, increased chances of infections, and sometimes death 4
Classification of Burns
- Burns can be classified based on their penetration levels, including:
- First-degree burns: penetrating the epidermis
- Second-degree burns: including both epidermis and dermis
- Third-degree burns: penetrating both layers, including hair follicular cells, sweat glands, and core tissues
- Fourth-degree burns: penetrating to adipose tissue
- Fifth-degree burns: penetrating to muscles
- Sixth-degree burns: penetrating to bones 4