Burn Evaluation and Management

Excerpt

A variety of factors guide the evaluation and management of burns. First is the type of burn, such as thermal, chemical, electrical, or radiation. Second is the extent of the burn, usually expressed as the percentage of total body surface area (%TBSA) involved. Next is the depth of the burn described as superficial (first degree), partial (second degree) or full thickness (third degree). Finally, other factors include specific patient characteristics like the age of the patient (< 10 or > 50 years old), other medical or health problems, if there are specialized locations of the burn (face, eyes, ears, nose, hands, feet, and perineum); and if there are any associated injuries, particularly smoke inhalation and other traumatic injuries.