Burns

Burns

1. Definition

   • A damage to the skin or other body parts caused by extreme heat, flame, contact with heated objects, or chemicals.
     • caused by
       • Chemicals
       • Electricity
       • UV radiations
       • intense heat

2. Classified according to severity

   • First degree
     • Superficial, affecting the skin surface only
   • Second degree
     • deeper, affecting outermost and second skin layers
   • Third degree
     • very deep, killing the skin tissue layers all the way to fatty tissue

3. mostly affect the skin ( integumentary system )

   • integumentary system is a physical barrier between the external environment and the the internal environment that it serves to protect and maintain.
     • heat regulation
     • protection
     • secretion
     • absorption
     • sensation
   • composed of skin, hypodermis, hair and nails, and some associated glands.
     • Skin is composed of two layers
       • Epidermis, the tough outer layer, it is composed of stratified squamous epithelium
       • The dermis, the thickest deeper layer, is made up of connective tissues and fibrous all hair roots and some glands are embedded in this layer.
         • Papillary layer: - Thin loose collagen layer - capillaries - Elastic fibers
         • Reticular layer: -Dense connective tissue -Blood vessels -Fibroblasts and mast cells & macrophages -Nerve endings
       • there is also hypodermis
         • -Fatty layer -thickness varies depending on locations -thermal insulation, energy store -regulation body weight

4. Signs

   • redness, pain, blisters, peeling skin, swelling, white or charred skin, shock

5. associated with inflammation

   • Is a rapid response to an injurious agent that serves to deliver mediators of host defense leukocytes and plasma proteins to the site of injury.
   • marked by
     • redness, warmth, swelling, pain, loss of function
   • inflammation can be caused by • Pathogens •External injuries •Effects of chemicals or radiation. •Immune reactions •Tissue necrosis •Burns

6. Complications

   • Bacterial infection
     • Skin infections
       • a condition where bacteria, viruses, or parasites invade the skin or related tissues
         • Bacterial infections
           • Small, red bumps that grow gradually. include cellulitis, impetigo, boils and leprosy.
           • can be caused by bacteria from the normal flora
             • normal flora
               • a mixture of microorganisms that are regularly on our bodies, they are usually nonpathogenic
                 • parts of the normal flora can be pathogenic in certain conditions
                   • staphylococcal aureus ( opportunistic pathogens )
                     • risk factors include : invasive devices, underlying health conditions, hospitalization,
                     • leading cause of skin and soft tissue infections, such as abscesses, boils, furuncles, and cellulitis
                     • can also cause more serious infections, such as pneumonia, bloodstream infections, endocarditis (infection of the inner lining of the heart chambers and heart valves), and bone and joint infections.
                     • gram-positive, catalase positive, coagulase positive
           • treatment
             • antibioitc
               • Drugs, derived from living cells, especially fungi, which prevent other microorganisms from multiplying.
                 • work by
                   • killing bacteria
                   • preventing bacteria growth
               • arguably the greatest medical breakthrough of the 20th century
               • Antibiotic Resistance
                 • Occurs when a microorganism is able to grow or survive in the presence of a concentration of antibiotic that is usually sufficient to inhibit or kill organisms of the same species.
         • Viral infections
           • Range from mild to severe . include shingles, chicken pox, warts and measles.
         • Fungal infections
           • Occur in damp places (feet or armpit). include athlete’s foot, ringworm, yeast infection and diaper rash.
         • Parasitic infections
           • Able to spread past skin to the bloodstream. include lice, bed bugs and scabies.
       • Skin culture, a test used to diagnose the type of infection
   • Fluid loss, including low blood volume
     • dehydration causes life-threatening shock, which is treated with IV fluidsa
   • hypothermia
   • keloids
     • scar and rigid areas
   • pyscological
     • depression and grief
     • PTSD
     • Anxitey
   • changes in metabolism, immune, and endocrine function

7. First aid for burns

   • Stop the burning process
   • Remove any clothing or jewellery near the burn, not stuck to the burn
   • cool with water
   • paracetamol and ibuprofen for pain relief

8. healing

   • depends on the depth of burns.
     • there are three phases in wound healing:
       • Inflammatory (reactive) cellular and vascular response
       • proliferative (reparative) re-epithelialization (wound closure begins)
       • maturation (remodelling) maturation of the scar