Life Support Lecture #4: Burns and Intoxications

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Lecture #4 Notes: Burns
Life Support

Learning Objectives

After this lecture, you should know the:
 Epidemiology (i.e. incidence) of burns
 Anatomy of the skin
 Classification of burns
 Jackson’s Burn wound model
 ABCDE of burns and fluid resuscitation
 The rule of 9
 Treatment options

Epidemiology
 Burns range in severity  some burns do not require medical attention or treatment by a
doctor, while others do

Annually in the Netherlands:
 80,000 burns are treated by general practitioners
 6,000 burns are treated in the ED
 1,800 hospital admissions
 600 admissions in Dutch burn centers
o 3 burn centers: Rotterdam, Groningen, and Beverwijk

What causes a burn?
 Burns can only occur at temperatures above 40 ° C
 Temperature and duration of exposure
o Whether a person will get a burn depends on
how high the temperature is and how long the
skin is exposed to the agent
 Cause of burns:
o Scalds
 Thermal burns caused by hot liquids or
gases (e.g. steam or boiling water)
o Fire/flames
o Contact
 Example  touching a stove
o Electrical injury
 Example  lightning
o Chemicals
 Chemical burns occur when living tissue is exposed to a corrosive
substance, such as a strong acid or base (e.g. laundry detergent)