Burns are the third-leading cause of unintentional death in the United States, behind only automobile accidents and falls. According to the American Burn Association, there are about one million burn injures each year in America, 43,000 of which are serious enough to require hospitalization. The number of burn fatalities in the United States has dropped dramatically in the last few decades due to advances in medical treatment of burn victims. Today, there are about 4,500 deaths each year that are caused by burns. Compare this to 1985, when more than 90,000 burn victims died. In the 1970s, victims suffering burns over more than 20 percent of their total body surface area (TBSA) died. Today, a person suffering burns over 90 percent of his or her body can survive, although they will often have permanent impairments.
Serious burns are complex. In addition to the burn injury itself, a number of other functions may be affected. Burn injuries can affect muscles, bones, nerves, and blood vessels. The lungs and airway can be damaged by, for example, breathing in hot air. The severity of a burn injury is determined by a number of factors, including the depth of the burned area, the total body surface area (TBSA) burned, the location of the burn, what caused the burn, and the age and health of the burn victim.
The skin is made up of three layers: the epidermis (the outer layer), the dermis (the second layer), and subcutaneous tissues (fat and muscle). Traditionally, burn injuries have been classified according to degree. A first-degree burn usually affects only the outer layer (epidermis). A second-degree burn affects the epidermis and the next layer of skin, the dermis. Second-degree burns involve the superficial (“papillary”) dermis, and may also involve the deep (“reticular”) dermis layer. Second-degree burns are considered minor if they involve less than 15 percent of the total body surface area (TBSA) in adults, and less than 10 percent TBSA in children.
Third-degree burns affect all layers of the skin and often the underlying tissue, tendons, joints, and bones. The burned area is usually charred black and includes areas that are dry and white. For some people, a third-degree burn is excruciatingly painful, while many are relatively painless due to the nerve endings having been destroyed by the burn. Third-degree burns result in scarring and victims will also lose hair shafts and keratin. This degree of burn often requires skingrafting. Fourth-degree burns damage muscle, tendon, and ligament tissue, resulting in charring to and catastrophic damage of the hypodermis. In some cases, the hypodermis tissue may be partially or completely burned away, resulting in a condition known as compartment syndrome, a life-threatening disorder. Skingrafting is required if the burns do not prove fatal. There are also fifth- and sixth-degree burns, but these are almost always fatal and are only seen at postmortem examination (that is, at an autopsy). In rare cases, where the burn is limited to one area, such as an arm or leg, the surgeon may amputate the limb that has been burned so severely.
The system of “degrees” of burn is being replaced by a system that addresses the amount of surgical intervention involved. Under this system, burns are classified as superficial, superficial partial-thickness, deep partial-thickness, or full-thickness. Many doctors prefer these newer descriptions because they relate more closely to the prognosis and treatment of the burn than the older method does. Superficial thickness is the equivalent of a first-degree burn. A partial thickness-superficial burn is the equivalent of a second-degree burn that involves the superficial (top layer) dermis, resulting in blisters, clear fluid, and pain. There is no damage to the deeper layers of the dermis, sweat glands, or oil glands. Partial thickness-deep correlates to a second-degree burn of the deep (inner layer) dermis. A partial thickness-deep burn involves damage to the deep (inner layer) dermis, sweat glands, and oil glands. A full-thickness burn is the equivalent of a third- or fourth-degree burn, causing damage to the dermis and underlying tissue, and possibly bone or muscle. A full-thickness burn is hard, with leather-like eschar, purple fluid, and no sensation.
Burns are also assessed in terms of total body surface area (TBSA) burned, which is the percentage affected by partial thickness or full thickness burns. The “rule of nines” is used as a quick way to estimate the TBSA affected. The adult body is divided into regions, each of which makes up nine percent of the TBSA. These regions are the head and neck, each upper limb, the chest, the abdomen, the upper back, the lower back and the buttocks, the front of each lower limb, and the back of each lower limb. This makes up 99 percent of the human body. The remaining one percent is the genital area. With an infant or small child, more emphasis is placed on the head and trunk.
The first 48 hours after being burned are the most critical for survival and recovery. Two of the main concerns of health care professionals are infection and fluid loss. To counter this, doctors will order IV electrolytes and other fluids, antibiotics, and a tetanus shot during the initial treatment after a burn. Once the patient has been stabilized, the wounds are cleaned and covered. If there is not enough skin left to cover the burned area, doctors will perform skin grafts using skin from unburned areas of the victim’s body if possible, and, if not, using cadaver skin or artificial skin. If you have been seriously burned, your chances for a successful recovery are greatest when you are treated at one of the approximately 200 specialized burn treatment centers across the United States.
A burn victim is at risk for dying from certain other conditions, such as infection, multiple organ dysfunction syndrome, acute respiratory distress syndrome, pneumonia, heart problems, or sepsis. Medical researchers have discovered that internal organs often suffer damage after a critical burn injury. The reason for this is that, when faced with a life-threatening injury, the body will redirect blood to try to save the brain and heart, robbing the intestines and lungs of oxygen and other blood-borne substances.
Talk to a lawyer now for free about your burn injury case. Protect your rights: 310.882.6810
Related Article: Burn Injuries & Accidents: Informational Resources
No related posts.
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
Tags: burn accident, Burn Injury, burn injury attorney, burn injury law firm, burn injury lawyer
