Pathophysiology

Pathophysiology Study Guide

Burns Burns can cause injury to the skin and underlying tissue due to heat, radiation, electricity, or chemical exposure. Heat is one of the most common causes of burns in older people and in children, and usually occurs from scalding with hot substances. In fires, thermal burns cause up to 60% of deaths due to the inhalation of heat into the lungs. The next most common cause of burn is by chemicals. This happens when an individual comes in contact with a chemical substance either internally or externally. Lastly, electrical burns happen with bad wiring, lightning, downed power lines, and children putting their mouths over electrical sources. There are three classifications of burns: • Superficial or first-degree: These only involve the top layer of skin or the epidermis and are easily treatable. They heal quickly without any problems. • Partial-thickness or second degree: These burns go through the epidermis into the actual dermis and the dermal tissue that is unharmed can help re-epithelialize the wound. Treatment consists of daily wound cleansing, debridement, and sterile dressings. • Full-thickness or third degree: These wounds go through the epidermis, the dermis, and in to the underlying tissues. These often require skin grafting from another part of the body and care needs to be taken to prevent complications. These burns can result in fluid loss and loss of the skins ability to protect the body. Fluid can also shift into intravascular spaces called “third spacing.” Signs of superficial burns, which affect only the epidermis, include: • Pain • Erythema • Edema • Blisters • Edema Signs of partial-thickness burns, which affect the epidermis and dermis, include: • Red/white color • Blistering (rare) • Edema (moderate) • Pain Signs of deep partial-thickness burns include: • White/brown/yellow/cherry red/black tissue color • Leathery appearance • Eschar to bone and muscle • Sweat glands/hair follicles destroyed • Edema • Charred subcutaneous tissue

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