Assessing Burns

How Severe Is Your Burn?

In order to determine how severe your burn is, there are certain criteria that should be adhered to. The more information that you can gather, the better. The list of criteria includes:

1. Cause of burn
2. Area(s) of the body burned
3. Degree of burn
4. Range of burn
5. Age of person burned
6. ANY pre-existing medical condition(s)

Traditional Burn Classifications vs. Current Classifications

Traditional

In the traditional burn classifications, there is a range of burns, beginning with first-degree as the least severe and ending with sixth-degree as the most severe.

• 1st Degree Burns: Usually only affects the first layer of skin, or epidermis. Causes minor pain on affected area.
• 2nd Degree Burns: Blistering of the skin occurs; pain experienced depends on nerve involvement. The lower dermis layers are affected.
• 3rd Degree Burns: Charring of the skin, hard scabs are produced as well as purple fluid. Pain is less severe because nerve ending have been completely burned off. Scarring most likely will occur.
• 4th Degree Burns: Most, if not all of the dermis is burned off causing muscle to be exposed and possibly burned, thereby exposing bone. Damage inflicted is irreversible.
• 5th Degree Burns: Muscles are charred and/or burned, exposing bone and rendering immobile use of one's muscles.
• 6th Degree Burns: All muscle is burned off, leaving charred bone.

Current

Newer terminology to classify burns relates more closely to the three layers of skin and is helpful when referred to for treatment and recovery.

• Superficial Thickness (traditionally referred to as 1st Degree burn): Burns the outermost layer of skin, the epidermis. Occurrences of minor pain and erythema.
• Partial Thickness-superficial (traditionally referred to as 2nd Degree burn): Burns the second layer of skin, the superficial dermis. Results in clear fluid, blisters, and moderate pain.
• Partial Thickness-deep (traditionally referred to as 2nd Degree burn): Burns the deeper portion of the skin, the deep dermis. Affected area appears white, lessening of pain due to burning of nerve endings, sometimes hard to differentiate from full thickness.
• Full Thickness (traditionally referred to as 3rd or 4th Degree burns): Burns all of the dermis, with the possibility of burned tissue, muscle, or bone. Injured area produces hard scabbing and purple fluid. No sensation.

Contact Mark & Associates, P.C.

If you are the unfortunate victim of a burn injury, please contact Mark & Associates. We can help you obtain compensation for your injuries.