The Healthy College

In this publication

Why Burns?

Burn Basics

Common Causes of Burns

Dr. Susan Kah
Interim Campus President
Medical Center Campus

Beware of Burns

I recall when I was in elementary school, a classmate tried to embarrass me with the taunt, “Your epidermis is showing.” Of course, I was guilty – as we all are. The epidermis is the most outer layer of the skin (there are three), and we need to protect it because of its multiple functions: protection, sensation, water balance, temperature regulation and vitamin D production. In the interest of helping you maintain these functions, especially important to those of us who live, work and play in the tropics, the Medical Center Campus presents this month’s topic

Why Burns?

Barbequing on the Fourth of July, sunbathing on Labor Day, and cooking Thanksgiving dinner evoke happy memories for most of us. However, if the grill is knocked over, if the sun is too hot for our skin, or if the busy cook puts his/her hand on the hot stove, these happy occasions can become nightmares in a flash. Accidents happen; people do burn themselves, and sometimes, it is serious. We need to be aware of the risks as well as the joys of fire and heat, and we need to know what to do when burns happen.

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Newsletter
Committee

Editors
Marie Etienne, Chair
Lisa Kokx

Technical Assistance
Fara Vázquez, Nursing Student
Iris Lopez, Media Services

Contributors
Marie Etienne, Nursing Faculty
Lisa Kokx, Allied Health Faculty
Carla Levesque, Librarian
Roberta Neway, Project MÁS
Madeline Pumariega, Dean
Fara Vázquez, Nursing Student

Interim Campus President
Dr. Susan Kah

Burn Basics

A burn is skin damage caused by heat, chemicals, or a source of light. All types of burns can cause significant disability and even death. There are three levels of burns:

First-degree burns affect only the outer layer of the skin.
These burns are characterized by redness, swelling, and peeling.
Second-degree burns affect the outer and underlying layer of skin.
In addition to redness, swelling, and peeling, these burns often cause the skin to blister.
Third-degree burns extend into deeper tissues.
These burns can be life threatening; the skin may appear white or charred and the victim may go into shock. Common symptoms of shock are pale and clammy skin, weakness, bluish lips and fingernails, and decreased alertness.

Common Causes of Burns

Burns can be caused by dry heat (fire), wet heat (steam, hot liquids), radiation, friction, heated objects, the sun, electricity, or chemicals.

The most common type of burn is thermal; thermal burns occur when hot metals, scalding liquids, steam, or flames come into contact with the skin. These are usually the result of fire, automobile accidents, playing with matches, improperly stored gasoline, space heaters, or electrical malfunctions.

Other causes of thermal burns include unsafe handling of firecrackers and household accidents, such as a child climbing on top of a stove or grabbing a hot iron.

Sunburns are a significant problem in South Florida. Sunburns are due to overexposure to the sun’s ultraviolet light. Human skin contains a protective substance called melanin; however, when exposure to the sun goes beyond the protective capability of melanin, sunburn occurs. Sunburns occur in both light and dark-skinned individuals, although the latter can usually tolerate greater exposure.

Sunburns are not immediately evident. Skin redness and pain usually occur several hours after the burn has occurred. Pain tends to be the worst between 6 and 48 hours after sun exposure. Skin peeling begins between three and eight days after the burn.

In severe sunburns, blistering is evident. Skin swelling and fever are also common.

Chronic Sun Exposure

Chronic sun exposure causes age spots and premature wrinkling, and excessive sun exposure has been linked to cataracts. Moreover, sunburns increase the likelihood of developing skin cancer. Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States, and the number of cases appears to be increasing.

See a dermatologist immediately if you notice any of the following:

A mole that has changed in color, size, or appearance.
A mole that has jagged edges and/or is not symmetric (one side does not match the other).
A mole that has different colors; for instance, it may be different shades of brown or black and/or it may have splotches of different colors.
A flat sore (resembling a mole).
A lump under the skin (resembling a wart).
A sore that does not heal.

Useful Resources Miami Dade College’s Libraries have a number of resources on burns. In addition to the print and web sources recommended below, MDC’s Libraries maintain subscriptions to several online health databases that provide full text Medical Dictionaries, Medical Encyclopedias, and articles from reputable medical journals. These databases can be accessed by connecting to the Libraries’ Homepage at http://www.mdc.edu/libraries/, clicking on “Find Articles” and entering your Borrower ID and PIN # from your MDCard.		Treatment Most minor burns, including most sunburns, heal without medical treatment. Symptoms can be eased by: Taking a cool shower or placing wet, cold cloths on the skin. Using moisturizing cream on non-blistered skin (avoid products containing benzocaine, lidocaine, or petroleum). Using over the counter pain relievers for pain. DO NOT give children under 12 aspirin. Protecting the burn from pressure and friction. Major burns may not appear serious initially. Seek medical attention immediately if: The burn is caused by chemicals or electricity. The victim inhaled smoke. The burn covers an area more than 2 to 3 inches in diameter (the size of the person's palm or larger). The burn is located on the hands, feet, face, groin, buttocks, or a major joint. Pain is still present after 48 hours. Signs of infection develop (increased pain, redness, swelling, drainage or pus from the burn, swollen lymph nodes, red streaks spreading from the burn, or fever). There are signs of shock. There are signs of dehydration (thirst, dry skin, dizziness, lightheadedness, or decreased urination). The burn victim is a child, is elderly, or has a weakened immune system (e.g. HIV). Physical abuse is the known or suspected cause of the burn. You are not sure how serious the burn is. If a person is on fire, call 911 and: Tell the person to STOP, DROP, and ROLL. Wrap the person in thick material to smother the flames (a wool or cotton coat, rug, or blanket). Douse the person with water. Make sure that the person is no longer in contact with smoldering materials. However, DO NOT remove burnt clothing that is stuck to the skin. Make sure the person is breathing. If breathing has stopped or if the person's airway is blocked, open the airway. If necessary, begin rescue breathing and CPR. Prevention Appoint a designated 'barbequer'; the person who barbeques needs to be alert and cautious. Install smoke alarms in your home. Check and change batteries regularly. Place fire extinguishers in key locations at home, work, and school. Know about and practice fire escape routes at home, work, and school. Teach children about fire safety and the hazards of matches and fireworks. Keep children from climbing on top of a stove or grabbing hot items like irons and oven doors. Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove so that children can't grab them and they can't be accidentally knocked over. Remove electrical cords from floors and keep them out of reach. Set temperature of water heater at 120 degrees or less. To prevent sunburn and mitigate sun damage: Wear a sunscreen with a high sun protection factor (SPF). Higher SPF numbers offer the greatest the protection. Most doctors recommend a SPF of 30 or greater. Wear sunglasses that give ultraviolet protection. Wear protective clothing such as a hat and lightly colored fabrics with long sleeves. Adjust your schedule, so that you are not exposed to the sun during 'high-intensity' hours (typically from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm). The majority of the above information comes from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000030.htm Websites Burns by MEDLINEPlus: a multimedia tutorial that describes different types of burns caused by heat, chemicals, electricity, sunlight, or nuclear radiation. The tutorial also covers symptoms and treatments of burns. Also available in Spanish: Quemaduras. American Burn Association The Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors, Inc. Burn Prevention Foundation
A Random Act: An Inspiring True Story of Fighting to Survive and Choosing to Forgive Cindi Broaddus with Kimberly Lohman Suiters
Love, Greg & Lauren: A Powerful True Story of Courage, Hope and Survival Greg Manning
Burn Care Steven E. Wolf and David N. Herndon, eds.
Burns Sourcebook: Basic Consumer Health Info. . . Allan R. Cook, ed.


Volume 1, Issue 5 June 2005