Burns Flashcards
What are some causes of fire?
Dry heat
Wet heat
Chemicals
What are some examples of dry heat?
Iron left on
Dry soil and grass
Electrical
Lightening
What are some examples of wet heat?
Boiling water
Hot oil
Hot steam
What chemicals can result to a fire?
Hydrochloric acid
Sulphuric acid
Lime
Caustic Soda
Why is alkaline burns worse than acid burns?
Because acid dehydrate organic tissue (skin) or only slightly damages the top layer of the skin.
Alkaline bases such as sodium hydroxide reacts with the skin and lipids dissolving it and allowing it to penetrate further than the skin
What are the three types of depth burns?
Superficial
Partial thickness
Full thickness
What is partial thickness burn split into?
Superficial-dermal
Mid-dermal
Deep-dermal
What does superficial burns affect?
The epidermis only
What are the characteristics of a superficial burn?
Red skin (erythema) Blanching Not usually blisters Painful - nerve endings exposed 3-7 days healing eg. sunburn
What are the characteristics of a superficial partial thickness burn?
Red skin May be blisters Hair follicles intact Pain May scar
What are the characteristics of a deep partial thickness burn?
Damaged hair follicles and sweat glands
May be difficult prehospitally to determine in full thickness or deep partial
What are the characteristics of a full thickness burn?
Both layers destroyed Skin white/pale brown/leathery/charred No cap refill Sensory nerves destroyed May have no pain in full thickness area May have significant pain around burn area Usually needs skin grafting
What are the four ways the area of a burn can be assessed?
Rules of Nines
Lund and Browder
Palmer surface
Serial halving
What are some signs of the risk of airway burns?
Facial/neck burns Soot nasal/oral cavities Black sputum Cough/hoarseness Difficulty breathing/swallowing Blisters around mouth or tongue Scorched hair/eyebrow/facial hair Stridor/altered breathing sounds Loss of consciousness Fire/blasts in enclosed spaces
How would you manage burns?
Stop burning process by removing cause
Brush of dry chemical using PPE
Remove affected clothing
Assess ABCDE
O2 as SPO2 would be unreliable due to carboxyhaemoglobin
Cool/irrigate burn and remove constricting jewellery
Do not use ice cold water
Cling film pieces
IV fluids = >10% burns for child and >15% burns adult
Smoke inhalation and wheeze = salbutamol
