Burns Flashcards
What is the average demographic of a burn victim?
70% men ~32 years
What is the most common complication with a burn?
Pneumonia (more at risk on mechanical ventilation)
What is a Level 1 burn center?
Has strict criteria/protocol/procedures/training ect. required
Name skin layers
Epidermis Dermis Papillary dermis Reticular dermis Subcutaneous Fat cell layer Muscle
Where are melanocytes located?
The epidermis
What is the Rete peg region?
Btwn epidermis and dermis. extensive series of epidermal-dermal ridges and valleys that serve to increase surface area, and overcome frictional forces
4 common types of burns
Thermal, chemical, electrical, radiation
What are the influencing factors when determining the severity of burn?
Temp of source
Contact length time
Thickness of the skin
Area of burn injury
What is a superficial burn?
Down to the epidermis only
presents as red skin
tender to touch
healing ~7 days, spontaneous
What is a superficial partial-thickness burn?
Burn of epidermis and partial dermis (papillary layer)
Intact blisters, red, blanching to touch
heals ~ 21 days
painful
What is a deep partial thickness burn
Epidermis and dermis (both layers)
Mixed red or waxy white, sluggish capillary refill, marked edema, hair follicle preservation
Less pain (nerve endings injured)
~35 healing
What is a full thickness burn?
Epidermis, dermis, some subcutaneous fat
Hard, parchment-like eschar, black, deep red, white, hair completely destroyed.
NO pain (in area, but may have pain in other areas)
requires surgery
What is a subdermal burn?
Epidermis, dermis, subcutaneous tissue
necrosis of muscle and/or bone
NO pain (in burned area)
What is eschar?
dead tissue consisting of desiccated clot of plasma and necrotic cells
How will current travel through the body?
Path of least resistance
- nerves
- blood vessels
- muscle
- skin
- tendon
- fat
- bone
What are the wounds called in electrical burns?
Contact points
What are the three zones of a burn?
Zone of coagulation
zone of stasis
Zone of hyperemia
What is the zone of coagulation?
cells irreversibly damaged, skin death, need graft
What is a zone of stasis?
contains injured cells that may die w/in 24-48 hrs, potential conversion of slavageable tissue in to necrotic tissue
What is the zone of hyperemia?
site of minimal cell damage, tissue should recover with no lasting effects
What is an escharotomy?
Surgical procedure used to treat full thickness burns where the surgeon makes an incision through the eschar to expose the fatty tissue below
What is a fasciotomy?
Surgery where a piece of fascia is removed to relieve tension
What is a xenograft?
Pig skin. temporary cover
What is an allograft?
from a cadaver. Temporary cover
What is CEA?
Cultured epidermal autograft
What is a split thickness autograft?
Epidermis and superficial layers of dermis
What is a full-thickness graft?
Full dermal thickness, leaves a full thickness wound that will require closure or grafting with a split-thickness skin graft.
What is Heterotrophic Ossification?
Formation of organized bone. Usually present with trauma.
What are the phases of treatment?
Emergent/Resuscitation phase(24-72 hrs) Acute phase (48-72 hrs) Rehabilitation phase (graft adherence to recovery
