12 burns risk factors

Question 1

Risk Factors

Answer 1

§ Substance abuse (eg: alcohol and
smoking)
§ Local cultural practices
§ Socioeconomic status (eg: open fires,
poor heating and lighting, frostbite)
§ Gender inequality (eg: sulphuric acid
thrown on women)
§ Suspected non accidental injury
through violence and neglect (eg:
child abuse)

Question 2

High Risk mechanism of injury

Answer 2

§ Confined space
§ Electrical injury
§ Chemical burn/Flash burn
§ Lightening strike
§ Concomittant trauma

Question 3

Adult burns: where do they happen

Answer 3

▪ 62% house
▪ 21% work
▪ 6% automobile/bike
▪ 11% other

Question 4

Mandatory Referral to Burn Centre

Answer 4

• 5% TBSA in children
• TBSA > 10 %
• Full Thickness > 5% TBSA
• Hands, feet, face, perineum,
genitals or major joints
• Respiratory burns
• Significant pre-existing
disease
• Circumferential burns
• Burns at the extremes of
age
• Electrical burns
• Chemical burns
• Burns w/ associated
trauma

Question 5

Type of Burn Injury

Answer 5

§ Thermal:
▪ Electrical:
▪ Chemical:
▪ Radiation:

Question 6

§ Thermal Burn Injury

Answer 6

flames, steam, hot metal, hot water or liquid

Question 7

▪ Electrical: Burn Injury

Answer 7

high or low voltage injury, lightning

Question 8

Chemical Burn Injury

Answer 8

acid, alkali, organic compounds

Question 9

Burn Injury Radiation:

Answer 9

UV light (sun or artificial), radioisotopes through
radiation devices (therapeutic/cancer treatment, industrial
or detonation of nuclear device)

Question 10

A burn injury influences all of the five major functions

of the skin:

Answer 10

Thermoregulation
• Fluid and electrolyte imbalance
• Immune response
• Protection from bacterial invasion
• Neurosensory interface

Question 11

Effects of major burn injury

Answer 11

▪ Fluid and electrolyte shifts
▪ Cardiovascular effects
▪ Pulmonary injury
– Upper airway
– Inhalation below the glottis
– Carbon monoxide poisoning
– Restrictive defects
▪ Renal and GI alterations
▪ Immunological alterations
▪ Effect upon thermoregulation

Question 12

Physiological changes burn injury

Answer 12

▪ Burns less than 25% TBSA produce primarily a local response
▪ Burns more than 25% may produce a local and systemic
response, and are considered major burns
▪ Systemic response includes release of cytokines and other
mediators into systemic circulation
▪ Fluid shifts and shock result in tissue hypoperfusion and organ
hypofunction

Question 13

Goals related to burns

Answer 13

▪ Prevention
▪ Institution of lifesaving measures for the
severely burned person
▪ Prevention of disability and disfigurement
through early specialised and individualised
care
▪ Rehabilitation through reconstructive surgery
and rehabilitation programs

Question 14

First Aid burns

Answer 14

▪ Primary survey
▪ Stop the burning process - Charred clothing or
clothing soaked in scalding liquid retains heat \
remove all clothing and all jewellery.
▪ Cool the burn wound- ideally under clean, cool
running water for 20-minutes. Be mindful of
hypothermia, particularly in children.
▪ Proceed to secondary survey