BURNS

BURNS

It is a type of injury that may be

caused by heat, cold, electricity,
chemicals, light, radiation or friction
 BURN CLASSIFICATION

By Depth or Thickness/ By

Degree

By Percentage of Tissue

Injured/ Total Body Surface
Area

By Severity
 By Depth or Thickness/ By
Degree
Superficial Partial Thickness (First Degree)
- Epidermis and possibly in the dermis.
- Skin appears red but blanches with pressure.
Blisters may or may not be present.
 By Depth or Thickness/ By
Degree
Deep Partial Thickness (Second Degree)
-Epidermis, upper dermis, and portions of the
deeper dermis.
-Appears blistered with weeping and edema.
 By Depth or Thickness/ By
Degree
Full Thickness (Third Degree)
-Epidermis and entire dermis. Usually extends into
subcutaneous tissue, including connective tissue,
muscle, and bone.
-Depending on the source of the injury, the affected
area can appear dry, pale white, edematous,
leathery, or charred.
By Percentage of Tissue Injured/ Total Body
Surface Area
The Rule of Nines
 Palm Method
The percentage
affected by
scattered burns
may best be
calculated using
this method. The
size of the client’s
palm represents
approximately 1%
of the TBSA
Lund and Browder Method
 By Severity
Damage
Extreme
Burn • Minor Burn Special Circumstances
Classification Care and
2nd degree 3rd Considerations
degree
Child • Moderate
Adult Burn

Minor <15%
• Major
<10%
Burn
<2% NO NO

Moderate 15%-20% 10%-20% <10% NO NO

Major >25% >20% >10% YES YES

TYPES OF BURNS
FLAME BURNS

Contact with open

flame causes direct
injury to the tissue.
 This result from direct
contact of the tissue
with a hot object.

Contact Burns
This result from contact
Scald
with hot liquids.
 STEAM
BURNS

These burns produce

extensive injury, due to
the high heat carrying
capacity of steam and
the dispersion of the
pressurized steam and
liquid.
Electrical burns
produce heat injury by
passing through the
tissue.
 A subset of flame
burns, these are seen
with the rapid ignition

FLASH BURN of a flammable gas or

liquid.
 A cold burn is a kind
of burn which arises

COLD BURN when the skin is in

contact with a low-
temperature body.
Three Phases of Burn Injury
●
Begins with the onset of burn injury and lasts until the completion of fluid
resuscitation.
●
Priority: involves maintaining an adequate airway and treating the client for burn
shock.

Emergent Phase