Burns



====A burn is a type of injury to flesh cause by heat, electricity, friction, radiation, chemicals, or light. Burns usually do not penetrate the dermis but it is possible for a burn to go all the way to the bone.====

====Treatment can range from using basic first aid kit materials to requiring attention from a burn center where a skin graft may be used. A skin graft is the use of healthy skin from another part of the body to replace severely damaged or completely destroyed skin that is somewhere else on the body.====


 * ~ Nomenclature ||~ Layer involved ||~ Appearance ||~ Texture ||~ Sensation ||~ Time to healing ||~ Complications ||~ Example ||
 * First degree || Epidermis || Redness ([|erythema] ) || Dry || [|Painful] || 1wk or less || None || [[image:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/38/Sunburn.jpg/70px-Sunburn.jpg width="70" height="90" caption="A sunburn is a typical first degree burn." link="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sunburn.jpg"]] ||
 * Second degree (superficial partial thickness) || Extends into superficial (papillary) [|dermis] || Red with clear[|blister] . Blanches with pressure || Moist || Painful || 2-3wks || Local infection/[|cellulitis] || [[image:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/01/Second_Degree_Burn_on_Shoulder.jpg/70px-Second_Degree_Burn_on_Shoulder.jpg height="94" caption="Second Degree Burn on Shoulder" link="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Second_Degree_Burn_on_Shoulder.jpg"]] ||
 * Second degree (deep partial thickness) || Extends into deep (reticular) dermis || Red-and-white with bloody blisters. Less blanching. || Moist || Painful || Weeks - may progress to third degree || Scarring, contractures (may require excision and[|skin grafting] ) || [[image:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9b/Major-2nd-degree-burn.jpg/70px-Major-2nd-degree-burn.jpg width="70" height="93" caption="Second-degree burn caused by contact with boiling water" link="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Major-2nd-degree-burn.jpg"]] ||
 * Third degree (full thickness) || Extends through entire dermis || Stiff and white/brown || Dry, leathery || Painless || Requires excision || Scarring, contractures, amputation || [[image:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/78/8-day-old-3rd-degree-burn.jpg/70px-8-day-old-3rd-degree-burn.jpg width="70" height="53" caption="Eight day old third-degree burn caused by motorcycle muffler." link="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:8-day-old-3rd-degree-burn.jpg"]] ||
 * Fourth degree || Extends through skin,[|subcutaneous tissue] and into underlying muscle and bone || Black; charred with[|eschar] || Dry || Painless || Requires excision || Amputation, significant functional impairment ||  ||

====Partial thickness burns, such as second degree burns, only penetrate into the dermis and not necessarily throughout the entire layer of tissue. Full thickness burns, however, extend through the entire dermis, and in extreme cases, through subcutaneous tissue, muscle, and bone.====

**Complications:**
====//Infections -// Infection is a common major concern for burn victims. With the epidermis and possibly the entire dermis destroyed, the body has no protective barrier to keep out bacteria and other pathogens. Burns are typically sterile for the first 24 hours, after this time period, the risk for infection increases drastically.====

====//Desiccation// //-// Desiccation, or dehydration, is another common concern. In severe and widespread burns, fluid is lost through the skin, potentially resulting in dehydration and electrolyte imbalance (can lead to shock). The absence of skin and its layers again play a major role in this complication. the skin acts as an envelope that holds in a body's moisture, and with it no longer there, fluid can continue to be lost until eschar forms. Fluids must be administered through an IV to make up for the loss.====