Burns

A burn is damage to your body's tissues caused by heat, chemicals, electricity, sunlight or radiation. Scalds from hot liquids and steam, building fires and flammable liquids and gases are the most common causes of burns.
There are three types of burns:
First-degree burns damage only the outer layer of skin
Second-degree burns damage the outer layer and the layer underneath
Third-degree burns damage or destroy the deepest layer of skin and tissues underneath
Burns can cause swelling, blistering, scarring and, in serious cases, shock and even death. They also can lead to infections because they damage your skin's protective barrier. Antibiotic creams can prevent or treat infections. After a third-degree burn, you need skin or synthetic grafts to cover exposed tissue and encourage new skin to grow. First- and second-degree burns usually heal without grafts.
National Institute of General Medical Sciences
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Burns(National Institute of General Medical Sciences)
Burns(Patient Education Institute)
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Burns and Traumatic Injury(National Institutes of Health) - Links to PDF
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Burns(Merck & Co., Inc.)
Treatment
Blisters: First Aid(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Burns: First Aid(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Burns: Taking Care of Burns(American Academy of Family Physicians)
Also available in Spanish
Treating Severe Burns with Artificial Skin(National Institute of General Medical Sciences)
Prevention/Screening
Burns: Avoiding Household Burns(American College of Emergency Physicians)
Burns: Preventing Burns in Your Home(American Academy of Family Physicians)
Also available in Spanish
Alternative Therapy
Aloe Vera(National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine) Return to top
Specific Conditions
Chemical Burns(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Electrical Burns(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Household Batteries Can Cause Chemical Burns(Consumer Product Safety Commission) - Links to PDF
Risk of Burns From Eruptions of Hot Water Overheated in Microwave Ovens(Food and Drug Administration) Return to top
Tutorials
Burns(Patient Education Institute)
Also available in SpanishReturn to top
Clinical Trials
ClinicalTrials.gov: Burns(National Institutes of Health) Return to top
Journal Articles
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
Article: Understanding and managing burn pain: part 1.
Article: Excision and skin grafting of thermal burns.
Article: The consensus of the surgical treatment of burn injuries in...
Burns -- see more articles Return to top
Directories
Burn Center Verification(American Burn Association)
Trauma, Burn, and Injury: Resources(National Institute of General Medical Sciences) Return to top
Organizations
American College of Emergency Physicians
Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors Return to top
Statistics
Burn Incidence and Treatment in the U.S.(American Burn Association)
Fire Deaths and Injuries(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Fireworks-Related Injuries(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Return to top
Children
Burns(Nemours Foundation)
Child Safety: How to Prevent Burns(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Electric Shock(American Academy of Pediatrics)
Prevent Burn Injuries: Don't Let Children Put Caps for Toy Guns in Their Pockets(Consumer Product Safety Commission)
Prevent Burns on Hot Metal Playground Equipment(Consumer Product Safety Commission) - Links to PDF Return to top
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Date last updated: 18 March 2009 Topic last reviewed: 09 April 2009