Unit 2: Burn Injury Flashcards
Skin Anatomy Review
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Functions of the Skin
- Protection from infection & injury
- Prevention of loss of fluid and maintains hydration
- Regulation of body temperature
- Sensory contact with the environment
- Excretion/Secretion (oils from sebaceous glands)
- Physical Appearance
Classification of Burns
- Depth of Injury
- Size of Injury (usually reflected in a percent of total body surface area (TBSA)
- Mechanism of injury
Depth of Injury (Classification of Burns)
-Reflects how deep into the skin layers a burn extends and the duration of the hot contact.
Size of Injury (Classification of Burns)
Usually reflected in a percent of total body surface area (TBSA).
Mechanism (Classification of Burns)
Indicates the type of burn, for example, an electrical burn or a chemical burn
Classification of Burns: Depth
- Superficial Burn (First Degree)
- Partial Thickness (Second Degree) or Deep Partial Thickness
- Full Thickness (Third Degree)
- Deep Full Thickness (Fourth Degree)
Superficial Burn (First Degree)
- Confined to the epithelial layer of skin (epidermis)
- Often caused by flame flashes or brief scald
- Painful
- For example: superficial sunburn or brief contact with a curling iron.
Partial Thickness or Deep Partial Thickness (Second Degree)
- Penetrates the dermis
- May see blisters, thin eschar, and severe pain.
- Deep 2nd degree can injury the hair follicles and sweat glands (moderate eschar, lack of blisters, less pain due to damage to superficial nerve endings)
Full Thickness (Third Degree)
- Full thickness burn that destroys dermis (thick inelastic eschar, not painful).
- Skin graft will be required.
- Dry, leathery, white. Often painless.
Deep Full Thickness (Fourth Degree)
- Most severe and life threatening burn.
- Full thickness burn that results from prolonged thermal contact (often electrical).
- Skin graft and possibly muscle flap will be needed for coverage
Classification of Burns: TBSA
Burn size is determined based on percentage of total body surface area (TBSA).
-Two common methods: “Rule of Nines” and Lund-Browder
TBSA percentage is used for the following:
-Calculating nutritional and fluid requirements
-Determining level of acuity to establish the level of medical treatment needed
-Classifying patients for use of standardized protocols
Estimating Percent Total Body Surface Area Affected by Burns
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Classification of Burns: Type
- Thermal
- Flame
- Scald
- Flash
- Inhalation Injuries
- Electrical Burns
- Chemical Burns
Medical Management of Burn Injury
-Respiratory support (when inhalation injury is present).
-Fluid Resuscitation
Administration of IV fluid to maintain intravascular volume and ensure adequate perfusion and oxygenation to all organs.
-Nutritional Support
Wound management
- Debridement
- Hydrotherapy
- Burn Dressings
Debridement (Wound management)
Cleansing and removal of nonadherent and nonviable tissue
-Removal of Eschar (Dead tissue that sheds from health tissues & facilitates bacterial access- possibly leading to sepsis).
Hydrotherapy (Wound management)
Form of wound cleansing in which water is used as a means of decontamination of the burn site.
Burn Dressings (Wound. Management)
Act as a barrier to the environment to prevent against infection and can assist in the management of wound fluids.
-Encourage a moist (not wet or dry) environment to promote epithelization.