A burn can be minor to major in nature. A minor burn may heal quickly with little or no treatment required whereas a major burn may need extensive medical attention and an extended hospital stay. In severe cases the burn injury can have fatal consequences.

The severity of the burn injury is dependent on several factors.

• Age of Victim
• Health History of Victim
• Burn Location
• Burn Size
• Depth of Burn

Age of Victim

The age of a burn victim affects the severity and recovery time of a burn injury. Young children and the elderly are more at risk from burn injuries, as they tend to have thinner layers of skin. They sustain burns at lower temperatures and in less time than an average adult. Their bodies have a harder time dealing with the initial trauma of a burn and take longer to recover.

Health History

As with any illness or injury, the previous health of the person plays an important factor in the severity of the burn injury. With a burn injury several systems in the body may be affected or compromised. Persons with preexisting health conditions and/or poor health in general place greater stress on the body and this may hamper or slow the recovery process. Anyone with kidney problems, diabetes, heart or respiratory problems is at greater risk.

Burn Location

Burns to sensitive areas like the face, hands, feet and the genitals increase the severity of a burn injury. Burns to the face can be very critical in nature if they affect the eyes, mouth or nose, especially if hot gases have damaged any portions of the airway. Burns to joint areas can be very difficult to deal with as scarring may affect their function.

Burn Size

As the amount of surface area affected increases, so too does the level of severity. Doctors use the "Rule of Nines" to estimate the percentage of body surface burned.

The adult body is divided into (11) regions with each assigned a value of 9%.

• head & neck (1)
• each upper limb (2,3)
• chest (4)
• abdomen (5)
• upper back (6)
• lower back (7)
• lower limbs front (8,9)
• lower limbs back (10,11)

The remaining 1% consists of the genital region. With small children the percentages increase for the head and torso areas. It is important for doctors to estimate the total % of a burn in order to calculate the amount of fluid loss from damaged cells. Fluid loss is a critical component in a burn injury in that it can lead to shock and kidney damage.

Depth of Burn

The skin is comprised of two layers: the thin outer epidermis and the underlying, thicker and more sensitive dermis. Below the dermis is the layer of subcutaneous fat, muscles, and bones.

Your skin is the largest organ in your body and performs many important functions. It acts as a barrier against infection, protects internal tissues and organs, and helps in the regulation of the body temperature.

Burns are categorized as first degree, second degree, and third degree according to the depth of tissue damage.

• First Degree (Superficial) – burns that affect the epidermis only and are the least severe. They cause minor damage, pink to red in color, slightly swollen, painful but without the presence of blisters. Causes: Sunburn and minor scalds.
  
  
• Second Degree (Partial Thickness) – burns that damage both the epidermis and dermis layers. Skin is moist, weepy, bright red with large blisters filled with clear liquid. They will be very painful, require medical attention and take 2-3 weeks to heal.
  
  
• Third Degree (Full Thickness) – burns that destroy all the layers of skin and may involve the fatty layer below. It may even extend damage into the underlying muscle and even bone. Skin may be bright red, waxy white or brown in color and charred, leathery or dry. This is a very serious injury that will require specialized hospital care.