3rd degree - full skin thickness burn with involvement of deeper tissues
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The !i! amount !n! of skin involved & !i! type !n! of {burn} will dictate condition of patient. Destruction of skin allows loss of fluid & may lead to {shock}. Because natural protection of skin is lost, infection nearly always develops.
The rule applied is known as the 'Rule of 9's', where '9' represents the % area of skin:
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head - 9%
each arm - 9%
upper chest - 9%
upper back - 9%
abdomen - 9%
lower back - 9%
upper thigh - 9%
lower leg - 9%
{perineum} - 1%
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For example, with a fire patient, there may be '18% burns' (i.e. 18% of total skin area has been burnt) - anything above 30% is life-threatening. However, burns of the face are considered life threatening even though they may not exceed 9%.
#burns treatment
With burns, 1st put out the fire. If patient's clothes are on fire, put out with water. If water is not available, wrap in a blanket to smother flames & lie patient on floor. Cool affected part with cold water as soon as possible. Cover burnt areas with sterile dressing. Do not remove adherent material. Transfer to hospital urgently.
If burnt area is small: Cool as rapidly as possible for at least 10mins. Remove all clothing near damaged area. !b! DO NOT !n! apply ointment or lotions. Cover with clean non-stick {dressing} (do not use band-aid to secure). Call for medical assistance if in doubt. Use same method for {scalds}.
If {burns} or {scalds} are severe, the patient may become unconscious. Cool burnt surfaces with running water. Do not remove charred material. Cover with clean non-stick {dressing}. !b! DO NOT !n! apply ointment or other lotions. Call for medical assistance urgently.
