What You Need to Know About Burn Injuries

• July 11, 2017
• Safety, Injuries

According to the American Burn Association, every year 486,000 burn injuries require medical treatment with 40,000 requiring a hospital stay.

Of the 40,000 hospitalizations, 30,000 are at hospital burn centers. Click To Tweet

Burn injuries affect everyone; however, young children and the elderly are the most vulnerable.

• Most burns that occur in children younger than age 5 are scald burns from hot liquids.
• Over half of all burns occur in the 18- to 64-year-old age group.
• Older adults are at a higher risk for burns, mostly scald burns from hot liquids.

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Classifying Burn Injuries

The seriousness of a burn is determined by the depth, size, cause, affected body area, age and health of the victim.

As most people may know, burns are classified as first-, second- and third-degree burns.

• First-degree burns occur on the top or outer layer of the skin (called the epidermis). These are the least serious and tend to cause redness, swelling and some pain, but no blisters.
• Second-degree burns affect the epidermis (outer layer) as well as well as the dermis (lower layer of skin) causing red, white or splotchy skin, swelling and blisters
• Third-degree burns, the most serious, involve all layers of the skin as well as the underlying fat. It is also possible that the muscle and bone can be damaged. These burns are the deepest and result in white or blackened, charred skin.

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Causes of Burn Injuries

Burns can be the result of many things:

• Hot liquid or steam
• Hot metal, glass and other objects
• House fires
• Frostbite
• Vehicle accidents
• Kitchen accidents
• Electrical currents and malfunctions
• Radiation from x-rays or other radiation therapy
• Chemicals (lye, paint thinner, gasoline)

Breathing in hot air or gases can cause inhalation injuries to the lungs and if the gases are toxic (think carbon monoxide), it can lead to poisoning.

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Preventing Burn Injuries

Since most burn injuries happen at home, here are a few preventative measures you can put into place.

• Keep children out of the kitchen while cooking.
• Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove.
• Place a fire extinguisher in or near the kitchen.
• Keep water heater temperature under 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Lock up matches and lighters.
• Install electrical outlet covers.
• Check and discard electrical cords with exposed wires.
• Keep chemicals out of reach, and wear gloves during chemical use.
• Ensure all smoking products are stubbed out completely.

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