Each year, over two and a half million people suffer burn injuries. More than 35 percent of burn injuries happen to children.
A third-degree burn occurs when an injury occurs to the epidermis, burns through the dermis, and burns the underlying structural tissue, such as muscular, skeletal, nervous and vascular tissue. Third degree burns are also referred to as full thickness burns, which describe the depth of the injury.
Third-degree burns are dry and leathery in appearance. The skin may look pearly white and waxy, or it may look mahogany, brown or black. The skin may look charred, and blood vessels underneath the skin may also appear charred.
Third-degree burns can be life threatening, depending on the percentage of the body surface injured. Treatment involves skin grafts, and possibility of other procedures depending on the kind and extent of scarring.
Immediate Care for burns resulting from thermal heat, scald, or surface contact:
- Call 911.
- First, stop the burning process or remove the person from the source of injury. If clothing is on fire, make the patient stop, drop and roll.
- Remove all clothing, which can seal heat into the skin. However, if clothing is stuck to the skin, do not remove it. Avoid tearing intact skin.
- Place burned area under cool water, or pour cool water over burns, for several minutes. Avoid placing ice on the skin as can worsen the burn.
- Remove any jewelry, tight clothing or belts; especially remove anything around the neck.
- Cover burns with a clean sheet or cloth. Avoid applying creams, ointments or butter to wounds—this can worsen the burn, or lead to infection.
- Keep the person warm; avoid administering any fluids.
For electrical wounds:
- Call 911.
- Do not touch the person who is contact with electricity, you will become injured if you do so.
- Disconnect the source of power or call the power company for assistance.
- Once it is safe to approach the person, begin standard CPR. Check the airways for signs of breathing and respiration, and assess for other injuries
For chemical wounds:
- Call 911.
- Flush the area with water. Remove clothing before flushing with water.
- If the person wears contact lenses, remove them before irrigation.
- Avoid dispersing chemical to parts of the body not contaminated by the chemical.
- Consult a poison control center for further treatment.
