Condition Lookup
Sub-Category:
Burns and Thermal Injuries
Number of Conditions: 1
First-, Second-, and Third-Degree Burns
Specialty: Emergency and Urgent Care
Category: Trauma and Injuries
Sub-category: Burns and Thermal Injuries
Symptoms:
pain or discomfort; redness; blisters; charred or white skin; swelling; loss of sensation (in third-degree burns)
Root Cause:
Damage to the skin and underlying tissues caused by heat, radiation, or friction, with severity determined by depth of tissue injury.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Clinical evaluation of burn depth, size (using the rule of nines or Lund-Browder chart), and presence of secondary complications such as infection.
Treatment:
Wound cooling (cool water for minor burns), topical antimicrobial creams, pain management, debridement of dead tissue, and skin grafting for severe burns. Hospitalization for IV fluids and monitoring in extensive burns.
Medications:
Medications may include topical antimicrobials like silver sulfadiazine (to prevent infection), pain relievers such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen , and in severe cases, opioids for pain. Antibiotics are prescribed if infection occurs.
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Burns account for over 180,000 deaths annually worldwide, with many more sustaining non-fatal injuries; prevalent in children and industrial workers.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Exposure to open flames, scalding liquids, industrial accidents, lack of safety measures, and high-risk environments (kitchens, factories).
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Minor burns heal within weeks; severe burns require long-term management, rehabilitation, and may lead to permanent scarring or disability.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Infections, sepsis, dehydration, hypothermia, hypertrophic scars, contractures, and long-term psychological effects.