Most burns are minor injuries that occur at home or work. It is common to get a minor burn from hot water, a curling iron, or touching a hot stove. Home treatment is usually all that is needed for healing and to prevent other problems, such as infection. Burns affect people of all ages, though some are at higher risk than others.



Burns and its severity

About 20% of burns occur in children younger than age 5, and most of these are scald burns from hot liquids.

About 60% of burns occur in the 18- to 64-year-old age group.

About 10% of burns occur in older adults, mostly scald burns from hot liquids.

Men are twice as likely to have burn injuries as women.

Doctors determine the severity of the burn by estimating the percentage of the body surface that has been burned. Special charts are used to show what percentage of the body surface various body parts comprise. For example, in an adult, the arm constitutes about 9% of the body.

Treatment of Burns

The treatment depends on what kind of burn you have. If a first- or second-degree burn covers an area larger than 2 to 3 inches in diameter, or is on your face, hands, feet or genitals, you should see a doctor right away. Third-degree burns require emergency medical attention. Babies and young children may have a more severe reaction from a burn than an adult. A burn in an adult may cause a minor loss of fluids from the body, but in a baby or young child, the same size and depth of a burn may cause a severe fluid loss.

The first step in managing a person with a burn is to stop the burning process. With dry powder burns, the powder should be brushed off first. With other burns, the affected area should be rinsed with a large amount of clean water to remove foreign bodies and help stop the burning process. Cold water should never be applied to any person with extensive burns, as it may severely compromise the burn victim's temperature status.

Block access to the stove as much as possible.

Never let a child use a walker in the kitchen.

Avoid using tablecloths or large placemats. A small child can pull on them and overturn a hot drink or plate of food.

Keep hot drinks and foods out of reach of children.

How to treat Severe Burns?

Severe burns can cause serious complications due to extensive fluid loss and tissue damage. Complications from severe burns may take hours to develop. The longer the complication is present, the more severe are the problems it tends to cause. Young children and older adults tend to be more seriously affected by complications than other age groups. Hospitalization is sometimes necessary for optimal care of burn injuries. For example, elevating a severely burned arm or leg above the level of the heart to prevent swelling is more easily accommodated in a hospital. In addition, burns that prevent a person from performing essential daily functions, such as walking or eating, make hospitalization necessary.