Fire, Chemical and Electrical Burn Injuries

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Burns are the most painful of injuries and take the longest time for recuperation and rehabilitation. Of approximately 2.4 million burn injuries reported in the US each year, 650,000 result in serious injury to skin and tissues and 8,000-12,000 result in death. Burn injuries are the second leading cause of accidental death in the US (just behind motor vehicle accidents).

Although burns usually affect the skin, other areas of the body can also be injured. For example, airways and lungs can be damaged as a result of inhaling hot fumes and gases.

Of all catastrophic injuries, burns are one of the most expensive injuries to treat. For instance, an extensive burn injury covering 30 percent of total body area can cost upwards of $250,000 in hospital and physician fees, and that's just the start: reconstruction and rehabilitation costs can be exorbitant.

Heat is the most obvious cause of burn injuries, but burns can also be caused by chemicals, electricity, the sun's rays or other types of radiation, friction (rubbing or chafing) or extreme cold.

The most common type of burn is caused by fire. Injuries can occur as a result of residential fires, automobile accidents, matches, gasoline, heaters or electrical malfunctions. The risk of burn injury in the workplace is widespread, from construction sites to restaurants -especially anywhere that high voltage or corrosive chemicals are present.

Types of burns

Thermal Burns:
This is the most common of burn injuries and occurs from heat or fire, such as scalding from hot liquids (such as grease and boiling water), open flames, hot objects, and flash burn injuries (explosions).

Electrical Burns:
Electrical burns occur when an electrical current travels through the body and meets resistance in the body's tissues, causing a burn injury in several areas, including the current's points of entry and exit on the skin, as well as the muscles and tissue through which the current passes. Electrical burns can heat up to 5,000 degrees Celsius. Damage to the bones, blood vessels and nerves can also occur, and a fatal heart attack may also result if the electrical current passes through the center of the body.

Unlike other burn injuries, electrical burns may not look severe on the outside though significant internal damage may have occurred.

Electrical accidents rank fourth for workplace-related mortalities and are the cause of 5-10 percent of traumatic deaths in the workplace.

Workplace safety laws require dangerous, high voltage areas and machinery to be clearly marked.

Chemical Burns:
Chemical burns are often severe and the longer the exposure, the more severe the injury will be. They generally result from exposure to strong acids or alkaloids or other corrosive materials such as industrial cleaners used in the workplace (acidic rust removers and cleaning agents, basic drain cleaners, etc.) and various chemicals used in laboratory and manufacturing workplaces. These materials eat away or "burn" skin and deeper tissue.

[The National Fire Protection Association] (NFPA) system uses a diagram of symbols and numbers to indicate the degree of hazard associated with a particular chemical or material.

Burn Injury Classification

Burn injuries are classified as superficial, partial thickness and full thickness, depending on how deeply the tissue is affected. They used to be classified as first degree, second degree or third degree burns.

Superficial-First degree burns are superficial burns to the first layer of skin (epidermis) that cause redness, swelling and minor pain, such as a sunburn. It usually heals on its own and does not cause permanent damage.

Partial Thickness-Second degree burns cause damage to several layers of the skin, from the epidermis to the dermis. Second-degree burns usually don't require surgery but scarring may result. Some victims opt for skin grafting if they have suffered extensive injuries. Second degree burns can cause pain, sensitivity, redness and blisters.

Full Thickness-Third degree burns are extremely serious. All layers of skin are affected, as well as underlying tissue, producing a brown or black leathery appearance. They require surgical skin grafting or transplantation. The nerves are usually destroyed, so this level is generally not painful. Skin grafting is usually required.

Burn Injury Articles

Burn Injury Victim gets the Third Degree
"Last January, my husband suffered a burn injury at work and had to get skin grafts to his left hand and chest," says Laurie. "Jim still has to wear a glove on one hand to smooth the skin graft. People at work laugh and call him Michael Jackson. They are supposed to be adults-- you don't say this kind of thing to a burn victim."

Baby Suffers Chemical Burn Injury
Nancy J. was told that her baby suffered a chemical burn due to IV infiltration while she was in the hospital, but the burn was superficial. Apparently, calcium had leaked out of her vein and burnt her skin. One month later, the plastic surgeon told her that the burn injury might have caused nerve and/or muscle damage.

Burn injury: There are many Dangers out There...
There are many different types of burns, and different causes of burn injuriesâ€"fire being the most obvious. But there are other sources for the intense heat capable of producing a burn, such as injuries from caustic chemicals.

Update: Newborn Burned in Hospital Warmer Remains in Critical Condition
Burn Injury: Hospital Fires a Hot Topic
Newborn in a Coma after Being Burned in Hospital Incubator
Burn Injury Sustained During Surgery
Chemical Burn Injuries
Burn Injury caused by Propane Tank
Burn Injury: "It Was Excruciating Pain"
$27 Million Awarded after Burn Injury

Burn Injuries In the News

JAN-23-08: Authorities are investigating the burn injury of a 12-hour old baby boy at a Coon Rapids hospital. The boy baby was on a warming blanket and receiving supplemental oxygen through the hood. [TWIN CITIES: BURN INJURY]

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