Burn Wounds
Burn Wounds
Burn Wounds
Burn Wounds
Burn is one of the major types of acute wound, caused exposed nerve endings, lost barrier function of
by thermal, chemical, or electrical contact, radiation, the skin, and inflammation (Fig. 9.2).
etc., which results in tissue damage. Burn wounds are • Deep second-degree burn: Involves epidermis,
highly variable based on the severity and affected tissue papillary dermis, and deep reticular dermis. It is
type. Following the burn injury, a systemic response oc- characterized by blister formation, mild edema,
curs and alters the normal physiological state of the pain, intact hair follicle, and extensive disruption
body [101]. of sensory nerves (Fig. 9.3).
There are various types of burns depending on the • Third-degree burn or full-thickness burn: Involves
causative agent: the epidermis, the dermis, and the hypodermis. It
• Physical may extend to the underlying muscle, bone, and
• Thermal burns interstitial tissues. It is characterized by dry dark
• By dry heat leather-like appearance without blister. It is usually
• By wet heat painless because of irreversible damage of nerves
• Electrical burns [101e103] (Fig. 9.4).
• Radiation burns Fig. 9.5 shows the different degrees of burn wound
• Laser burns schematically.
• Chemical (acid burns, alkali burns, others) [102].
TYPES OF BURN
Burn wounds can be classified based on severity, type of
involved tissues, and depth, as follows:
• First-degree burn: A localized injury causes damage
to the epidermis, characterized by localized pain,
edema, and erythema, and usually without blister.
First-degree burn does not disrupt the barrier func-
tion of the skin and is not a life threatening condition
(Fig. 9.1).
• Second-degree burn: Involves the epidermis and
variable thickness of the dermis. It is subclassified as
follows:
• Superficial second-degree burn: In which the
epidermis and papillary dermis are damaged. It is
characterized by pain, early blister formation, FIG. 9.1 First-degree burn caused by sun exposure.
FIG. 9.6 Rule of nines refers a certain percentage to each part of the body.