Burn is. .. Treatment, first aid, degree of burns

Almost every person has got into extreme situations at least once in his life or found himself in a life-threatening situation. As a result, you can get various injuries, which cause significant harm to health. In the article we will analyze what burns, types, degrees, help with such injuries.

What is burns

You can get such an injury even in everyday life, not to mention the production. Burn is damage to the skin that is caused by thermal, chemical, electrical, radiation exposure. In most cases, these injuries affect the upper layers of the skin, but in serious situations, muscles, blood vessels and even bones may suffer.

If you ask yourself how to cure a burn, the answer to it will depend on the extent and extent of the damage. In some cases, you can get by with home remedies, and sometimes serious specialized help is required.

Causes of burns

Causes of burns can be various causes, which are characterized by their manifestations and signs of damage. Provoke burns can:

• thermal factors;
• chemical;
• electric current;
• radiation exposure;
• bacteria( the so-called bacterial burn).

All these factors can be affected with varying degrees, so the burn will have its manifestations and require an individual approach to treatment.

Kinds of burns

The most common are thermal burns, that is, those that are obtained as a result of exposure:

• Fire. Very often, the upper respiratory tract, the face, is damaged. When the damage to parts of the body is observed, the process of removing clothing from burnt areas is a great difficulty.
• Boiling water. Almost everyone faced this. The area can be small, but the depth is significant.
• Pair. This defeat usually does not cause many problems.
• Ember items: they tend to leave clear boundaries and deep lesions.

With thermal burn, the degree of damage depends on several factors:

• temperature;Exposure duration
• ;
• degree of thermal conductivity;
• general health and skin affected.

Chemical burn is damage to the skin caused by various aggressive substances, for example:

• acid( after such an impact, the lesion is usually shallow).
• alkali;
• salts of heavy metals such as silver nitrate, zinc chloride, which most often cause a superficial skin burn.

Electrical burns can be obtained after contact with conductive materials. The current quickly spreads through the muscles, blood, spinal fluid. Danger to humans is the impact of more than 0.1 A.

A distinctive feature of electrical damage is the presence of an entry and exit point. This is the so-called current label. The lesion is usually small, but deep.

Radiation burns can be connected:

1. With ultraviolet radiation. Such burns can easily earn lovers of sunbathing at noon time. The lesion area is usually large, but most often it is possible to cope with the help of home remedies.
2. With exposure to ionizing radiation. In this case, not only the skin is affected, but also the neighboring organs and tissues.
3. With infrared radiation. It often causes a burn of the cornea, retina, skin. Defeat depends on the duration of exposure to this negative factor.

And another type of burn is a bacterial burn that can cause some kinds of microorganisms. The severity also varies from small nodular lesions to a condition that can threaten even a person's life, for example, with the development of staphylococcal syndrome of burned skin.

Burning severity and their manifestation

The burn can be obtained as very insignificant, and such that urgent hospitalization is required. Depending on the complexity of the lesion, the consequences may also differ significantly from each other. There are several degrees of burn:

1. The first degree( I) is considered the easiest. In case of lesion, reddening of the skin area at the burn site, slight swelling is observed. With such damage, only the surface layers of the skin are affected, so there are no serious complications, special treatment is not required, and after a few days there is practically no trace of the burn.
2. II degree is more serious: there is pain on the burned area, redness, swelling. Due to the detachment of the epidermis, blistering can be observed. If you give them yourself to open, then after about two weeks there is complete healing without any traces.
3. III-A degree. With such a lesion affects not only the epidermis, but also partially hair bulbs, glands located in the skin. Dying of tissues is observed, due to vascular changes, edema spreads over the entire thickness of the skin. The 3rd degree burn after itself forms a crust of gray or light brown color, but before that blisters necessarily appear which can reach impressive sizes. Healing takes a long time and requires medical intervention.
4. III-B degree. The burn seizes all layers of the skin, including subcutaneous fat. Bubbles are formed, filled with fluid, with blood veins. Painful sensations may be weak or completely absent. It is unlikely to cope with such damages independently.
5. 4th degree burn. The most serious form. The defeat of all layers of the skin with the capture of muscles, tendons and even bones is noted. Formed a dark crust almost black, through it visible venous vessels. As a result of the lesion, nerve endings are damaged, so the patient does not feel the pain practically. The risk of intoxication and development of various complications is very high.

Most often, a burn is not one degree, but a combination of several. The severity of the situation is also determined by the area of ​​the lesion. Depending on this burns are:

• Extensive, which affects more than 15% of the skin.

If the burn is extensive and more than 25% of the skin is affected, then the likelihood of a burn disease is high.

What is a burn disease?

The progression of this complication and severity depends on several factors:

• The age of the affected person.
• Location of the affected location.
• Degrees of burn.
• Area of ​​damage.

The burn disease in its development goes through the following stages:

1. Shock. It can last from several hours to several days, it all depends on the area of ​​the lesion. There are several degrees of shock:

• The first is characterized by burning pain, normal pressure and the number of heartbeats within 90 beats per minute.
• With the second degree, the heart contracts more often, the pressure drops, the body temperature decreases, and a thirst appears.
• If the lesion is more than 60% of the skin, a third degree of shock is observed. The state is critical. The pulse hardly probes, the pressure is low.

2. Burn toxemia. It comes from the impact of products of tissue decay on the body. Occurs usually within a few days after the lesion and lasts 1-2 weeks. Thus the person feels weakness, a nausea, there can be a vomiting, rise in temperature.

3. Septicotoxemia. It starts from 10 days and lasts for several weeks. Infection is noted. If the dynamics of treatment will be negative, then it is fatal. This is observed if there was a fourth degree burn or a deep skin lesion.

5. Reconvalescence. Effective drug treatment ends with healing of burn wounds and restoration of internal organs.

To prevent the development of a burn disease, it is necessary to deliver the victim from a burn to the hospital. Doctors will be able to assess the severity of the injuries received and will provide effective assistance.

First aid for burns

Whatever the cause of the burn, first of all you must perform the following actions:

1. Eliminate the source of the lesion.
2. Quickly cool the damaged skin area.
3. Treatment of burns and the imposition of a sterile dressing.
4. Relieve pain.
5. Call an ambulance, if required.

It is very important not to get lost in the situation and as soon as possible to eliminate the damaging factor or to bring a person to a safe place. This will determine the degree of skin damage. Rapid cooling helps prevent the defeat of healthy tissue. If the burn is 3 degrees, then such a measure is not made.

Depending on the damaging factor, first aid measures can have their own nuances. Let's consider them further.

First Aid for Thermal Burn

With such damage, almost everyone in your life meets, so you need to know how to help yourself or your loved ones in this situation. Home help with burns of this kind is as follows:

1. As soon as possible, eliminate the impact of the damaging factor, that is, remove from the fire zone, remove or extinguish burning clothing.
2. If the burn is small, it is necessary to cool the affected area under running water for 10-15 minutes, and then attach a clean, damp napkin.
3. For more severe burns, it is not necessary to cool, but it is necessary to cover the place of burn with a napkin.
4. Take off the jewelry if possible.
5. Take an anesthetic, for example, Ibuprofen, Paracetamol.

For thermal burns, do not:

• Remove clothing if it sticks to the wound.
• Puncture blisters.
• Touching the affected area.
• Oil wounds, cream, iodine, peroxide and other substances.
• Do not apply cotton wool, ice, patches.

If the burn is severe, medical attention will be required.

Chemical burn

Often such damages are obtained in chemical production, but it is possible and at the chemistry lesson if you do not observe safety procedures. When exposed to a chemical substance, it is necessary to quickly neutralize its effect.

Help with chemical burns with acid is to treat the wound with a solution of soda or soapy water. If exposed to alkali, then you must first rinse thoroughly with water, and then treat with 2% solution of acetic or citric acid.

In case of getting chemical burns, more serious ones will have to seek help from specialists.

Help with electric burns

Get an electric shock at home or at work. First of all, it is necessary to neutralize the source of the defeat. Only do this with the observance of security measures. The wound should be covered with a napkin.

You can get a slight injury, and it will be enough to give a warm tea and give a soothing to the victim. In case of serious damage, loss of consciousness may occur. In this case, you will have to resort to additional assistance measures:

• Find a comfortable position for the victim.
• Ensure that there is an influx of fresh air.
• Relieve respiratory tract from excess clothing.
• Turn the head to one side.
• Before the arrival of an ambulance, follow the pulse and breathing.
• If the injury is so severe that a cardiac arrest has occurred, then it is urgent to do artificial respiration with an indirect massage of the heart muscle.

It should be remembered that there are situations in which the life of a person depends on the speed of first aid.

Radiation burns and first aid

Such damage can be obtained by exposure to ultraviolet, infrared and radiation radiation. This type of burns differs significantly from the others in that ionization of the tissue occurs, which causes changes in the structure of the protein molecule.

Radiation burns have their own degrees of difficulty:

• The first degree is characterized by redness, itching and burning.
• At the second degree, blisters appear.
• The third degree besides the listed symptoms includes necrosis of tissues and adherence of complications.

In the case of first aid after receiving a radiation burn, do not:

1. Touch the wound with your hands or apply non-sterile objects to it.
2. If bubbles appear, then they can not be pierced.
3. Use cosmetics to treat wounds.
4. Apply ice. This can not only lead to frostbite, but also cause a burn shock from a sharp temperature drop.

Eye burns

All the factors discussed above may be the cause of eye burn. The localization may be different, depending on this, the following are distinguished:

• corneal burn;
• century;
• retina;
• of the lens.

The extent of the lesion may be different, and if the former is amenable to treatment at home and has a favorable outcome, more serious injuries require an inpatient stay, and the consequences can be most disastrous.

The symptoms that will indicate the resulting eye burn are as follows:

• Redness and swelling.
• Strong painful sensations.
• Lachrymation.
• Fear of light.
• Decreased visual acuity.
• Change in intraocular pressure in any direction.

If there is radiation damage to the eyes, then some of the above signs may not appear.

In case of contact with chemicals in the eyes, rinse immediately with running water for 15 minutes. To drip antiseptic drops, for example, "Floksal".Around the eyes, the skin can be lubricated, covered with a napkin and send the victim to the ophthalmologist.

A welding burn, which is related to radiation, may not appear immediately, but a few hours after exposure. Characteristic signs with such a lesion are as follows:

• severe cutting pain in the eyes;
• lacrimation;
• sharp decrease in vision;
• fear of bright light.

In case of eye damage, help should be given immediately. This will determine the effectiveness of treatment.

Treatment of burns

Since the severity of burns can be different, then the treatment is of two types:

• conservative;
• operative.

The choice of methods of therapy depends on several factors:

• total lesion area;
• depth of burn;The location of the injury;
• causes, which triggered a burn;
• development of burn disease;
• of the victim's age.

If we consider a closed method of treating burns, it is performed by applying bandages to the wound with a medicinal preparation. When there is a shallow burn and mild degree, then this bandage does not even have to be changed frequently - the wound quickly heals.

In the presence of a second degree, bactericidal ointments are applied to the burn site, for example, "Levomikol" or "Silvacin".They prevent the reproduction of bacteria. Change this bandage every two days.

In the case of third and fourth degree burns, crust formation is observed, so at first you need to treat the area around with antiseptic agents, and after the crust disappears( which usually occurs in 2-3 weeks), bactericidal ointments can be used.

The closed method of treatment has its advantages and disadvantages. The following can be attributed to the first:

• The bandage does not allow infection to enter the wound.
• Protects the wound from mechanical damage.
• Drugs promote faster healing.

The disadvantages of the following:

• When changing the bandage, the patient experiences unpleasant sensations.
• Dying tissues can provoke intoxication.

With the closed method of treatment, special techniques are used, for example, ultraviolet irradiation, bactericidal filters. They are usually available to specialized burn centers.

This method of treatment promotes the rapid formation of dry crust. Most often it is used for burns of the face, perineum, neck.

Operative treatment

In some cases, when large burns occur and occupy large areas, surgical intervention is necessary. Its following types are used:

1. Necrotomy. The doctor dissects the scab to ensure blood supply to the tissues. If this is not done, then necrosis may develop.
2. Necrectomy. Most often done with burns of 3 degrees to remove dead tissue. The wound is well cleaned, suppuration is prevented.
3. Staged necroctomy. It is produced with deep burns and is more gentle compared to the previous method. Removal of tissues is carried out in several visits.
4. Amputation. The most severe cases: when treatment does not work, you have to remove the limb to prevent further spread of necrosis.

All methods of surgery, except the last, then end with skin transplantation. Most often, the patient's own skin taken from other sites can be transplanted. Many people are wondering how to cure a burn at home? As for damage of 3 and 4 degrees, the issue is not even discussed here - treatment should be done only in a hospital. Lighter burns can be completely cured at home.

There are many proven methods for folk healers, among them the most popular and effective are the following:

1. If a sunburn is obtained, then baking soda will help it nicely.
2. A strong tea pack can also alleviate the condition of the victim.
3. Prepare from 1 tablespoon of starch and a glass of water and apply it several times a day to the affected area.
4. If you soak gauze napkin with sea buckthorn oil and attach to the burn, the healing will go faster.
5. Some believe that a burn of grade 2 can be quickly cured with raw potatoes. It is necessary to apply fresh potato slices every 3 minutes. Blisters will not appear if you start this treatment immediately after getting injured.
6. Prepare ointment from 3 spoons of sunflower oil and 1 spoon of beeswax. Apply this composition 3-4 times a day.

It must be remembered that it is possible to cope with one's own strength without health consequences with light burns. Serious injuries require medical intervention.

Complications of burns

With any burn, not only does damage cause fear, especially with a large area, but also an infection that can join at any time. The risk factors include the following cases:

• If more than 30% of the body area is affected.
• Burns all layers of the skin.
• Infant and senile age.
• Resistance to antibacterial drugs of bacteria that caused infection.
• Wrong treatment and care of wound.
• There was a rejection after the transplant.

To reduce the likelihood of all complications, it is necessary to carry out treatment in specialized clinics. Burn is a serious enough damage, especially for children, who also get a strong psychological trauma.

The prognosis for treating burns always depends on several factors, but the faster the victim is taken to the clinic, the better the therapy will be, and recovery will occur faster and with a minimum risk of complications. The consequences of a burn can be irreversible, if not to provide timely assistance.