Wounds 2 - Burns and Chemical Injuries

What is a difference in healing time between burns and mechanical injuries?

Burns take longer to heal

What are some classifications of partial thickness burns?

Superficial, superficial dermal, deep dermal

What is the type of burn that only affects the epidermis but is very painful and red due to affected nerve endings?

Superficial

What is the type of burn that affects the epidermis and into the dermis that tends to blister and be sore?

Superficial dermal

What is the type of burn that affects the dermis, usually has no feeling in the injury as nerve endings are burnt?

Deep dermal

What key factor should be considered with burns?

Coverage - a small deep burn can be dangerous, refer pts if their burns are greater than 2 × 50p coins

What are characteristics of sunburn/superficial burns?

Superficial, can cover large portions, can take hours to initially feel sore, most patients won’t present, can blister

What counselling should be given for sunburn?

Watch out for sun stroke symptoms e.g., headache, fatigue, nausea and vomiting

What are characteristics of a superficial dermal burn?

Can have fever and swelling, can react with sunlight

What drugs may have superficial dermal burns when exposed to UV light?

If patient on amiodarone

What can be wrapped around burns to protect from a non-sterile environment and keep fluid in?

Cling film

What is the type of burn where all of the dermis has been destroyed?

Full thickness

What are characteristics of a full thickness burn?

Painless for patient and becomes painful when healing, may need skin grafts, large and needs dressing, can have deep dermal burns at the edge and necrotising skin

What should you NEVER advise patients to do with blisters?

do not pierce!!

What are examples of decubitous ulcers?

Pressure sores, bed sores

How do decubitous ulcers arise?

Tissue dies and tissue bed is left behind

How many stages are there of decubitous ulcers?

6 stages/grades where first 4 are skin/tissue damage and last 2 are focused on treatment

What are characteristics of pressure sores?

Usually in elderly/pts with mobility issues who stay in the same place, tissue damaged occluded as no proper oxygen to the area

What groups are leg ulcers common in?

Elderly, venous return issue patients such as in obesity, diabetes

Why do leg ulcers occur?

Toxins from tissue aren’t taken away and accumulate

What are characteristics of diabetic foot ulcers/leg ulcers?

Not great blood supply so may not be fully restored, takes a while to heal and is very difficult to heal

What can infective ulcers be a result of?

Infected bites that ulcer

What type of burn are radiotherapy ulcers equivalent to?

Superficial dermal burns but are very uncommon

How can some cancers present?

Can present as ulcers