Professional Reference articles are designed for health professionals to use. They are written by UK doctors and based on research evidence, UK and European Guidelines. You may find the Burns and Scalds article more useful, or one of our other health articles. Show
Read COVID-19 guidance from NICE Treatment of almost all medical conditions has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. NICE has issued rapid update guidelines in relation to many of these. This guidance is changing frequently. Please visit https://www.nice.org.uk/covid-19 to see if there is temporary guidance issued by NICE in relation to the management of this condition, which may vary from the information given below. In this articleBurns - Assessment and ManagementIn this articleWhat is a burn?A burn is an injury caused by thermal, chemical, electrical or radiation energy. A scald is a burn caused by contact with a hot liquid or steam but the term 'burn' is often used to include scalds[]. Most burns heal without any problems but complete healing in terms of cosmetic outcome is often dependent on appropriate care, especially within the first few days after the burn. Most simple burns can be managed in primary care but complex burns and all major burns warrant a specialist and skilled multidisciplinary approach for a successful clinical outcome[]. Epidemiology
Risk factors
Burn assessment
Stop the burning process
Minor burn management[]
Major burn management and treatmentThe initial treatment of burns needs to include the following possible injuries:
Immediate burn managementAirway
Breathing
Intravenous access and fluid replacement
Burn management and treatment[]
Transfer to a burns centre or other appropriate care centre as indicated. Referral to a specialist burns unitAll complex injuries should be referred - particularly[]:
Further burn management and treatment
Chemical burns
Electrical burns
Complications[]
Prognosis
Burn preventionThere are many important aspects of prevention of burns, including:
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The information on this page is written and peer reviewed by qualified clinicians. Disclaimer: This article is for information only and should not be used for the diagnosis or treatment of medical conditions. Egton Medical Information Systems Limited has used all reasonable care in compiling the information but make no warranty as to its accuracy. Consult a doctor or other health care professional for diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions. For details see our conditions. Why does full thickness burn more than 20% of the skin surface is a life threatening situation?With this type of burn, all layers of the skin — epidermis and dermis — are destroyed, and the damage may even penetrate the layer of fat beneath the skin.
What is the primary wound covering for full thickness burns?Full-thickness (third-degree) or deep-dermal burns, which will not heal within approximately 14–21 days, are best managed by immediate full excision followed by autograft coverage. In use since the 1970s, early excision and grafting have become the standard of burn care.
What procedures are followed to treat full thickness burns?While cleansing, debridement, and local wound care may be sufficient for healing superficial burns (epidermal [superficial], superficial partial thickness), deep burns (deep partial thickness, full thickness, or deeper) require surgical excision and skin grafting.
What is the full thickness burn?Full-thickness — These burns extend through and destroy all layers of the dermis and often injure the underlying subcutaneous tissue. Burn eschar, the dead and denatured dermis, is usually intact.
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