Introduction
Burns are injuries that happen when something of severely hot temperatures damages tissues of the body. Chemical and electrical burns may occur when the skin comes in direct contact with those products. Burns can range from minimal to more severe and can cover larger portions of the body. The severity of burns is determined by the depth using the following system:
- Superficial: Only the top layer of the skin is damaged. Minor and can typically be treated at home.
- Partial-thickness: Damage the outer two layers of skin. Can blister, cause color or texture changes, and be painful.
- Full-thickness: Goes through all layers of the skin and reaches the fatty or muscular tissue. Nerve endings will be destroyed so the injured person may not feel pain or may very well have extreme pain due to the severity of the injury.