Scorched Skin: A Guide to Prehospital Burn Management

Burns are common in the United States, and more than 450,000 require medical treatment each year. Many of these burns are severe and more than half of cases admitted to the hospital require treatment at a burn center.1 Although an EMS provider will rarely encounter a serious burn injury, the initial assessment and treatment can influence patient outcomes, which require providers to remain knowledgeable on current treatment modalities. All Burns Are Not the Same Intact human skin is an amazing barrier that protects us from the environment, aids in thermoregulation and prevents dehydration. Unfortunately, the skin is easily damaged when exposed to high heat and flame. Cutaneous pain receptors are activated at 100–113 degrees F (37.7–45.0 degrees C). A 50-degree F increase will result in third-degree burns and irreversible damage to the skin and underlying tissues. Fundamentally, all burns damage the skin and some portion of the underlying tissues. However, there are important mechanistic differences among the various types of burns that may influence treatment decisions. Thermal burns are the most common type of burn and are the result of skin exposure to scalding water, open flame or intense heat. This type of burn represents more than 80% of the cases treated in the U.S.2 The tissues are physically damaged, destroying the skin barrier. Injury thickness will vary depending on the duration and the intensity of the exposure. Destruction of the skin challenges the thermoregul...
Source: JEMS Patient Care - Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Tags: Patient Assessment Burns & Soft Tissue Trauma Source Type: news