Medical Terminology for Burns, Inflammation, and Tissue Excision Techniques

Burn

To oxidize or be oxidized by fire or equivalent means, creating a tissue reaction or injury

Burn - To oxidize or be oxidized by fire or equivalent means, creating a tissue reaction or injury:

Heat, flame, Extreme cold, Caustics, Radiation, Friction, Electricity

Inflammation

Reaction to tissues to injurious agents; usually characterized by heat, redness, swelling and pain.

Blister

Thin vesicle on the skin containing watery matter.

Singe

To burn superficially, as the hair, which shows partial destruction from scorching heat.

Charred

Reduced to carbon; state of tissue destroyed by burning.

1st Degree Burns: Characteristics

Pink or red skin

Unbroken skin

No tissue destruction

Possible odor; controllable

1st Degree Burns: Techniques

Typically present no unusual degree of difficulty

May need a stronger than normal arterial injection solution

Precaution against edema and/or skin slip

2nd Degree Burns: Characteristics

Acute inflammation with blistering or Complete absence of the epidermis

Red tissue discoloration

No charring and no major tissue destruction

Hair may be singed

Odor

2nd Degree Burns: Techniques

Open blisters and remove loose or excess skin

Recommended pre-embalming

Apply surface pack with topical gel (cauterize and dry)

Seal the area to prevent seepage

Cosmetize

3rd Degree Burn: Characteristics

Charring

Destruction of surface and deep tissue (expanding/splitting)

Muscle is not usually very affected

Potential to be "non-viewable"

Odor

3rd Degree Burn: Techniques

Viewable Areas:

Excise charred tissue

Cauterize and dry excision tissue with surface pack

Cover with sealer

Suture with basket-weave, apply wax, create pore-effect and cosmetize

4th Degree Burn: Characteristics

Charring

-Black, crumbling tissue

-Partially missing tissue

-Very discolored (black)

-Very dehydrated

Complete incineration of tissue

Muscle greatly affected

Expansion and splitting of lesser charred areas

Not appropriate for restoration attempts or viewing

Odor

Singed Hair Treatment

Characteristics:

Shrunken

Completely missing

-Brows, lashes, facial hair, hair of head

Singed Hair Treatment

Techniques:

Cosmetic, such as eyebrow pencil, eye shadow or mascara can be used to recolor singed areas.

Completely missing hair must be replaced with hair replacement techniques

Excisions terminology

Excision, Excise, Undercut

Excision

An area from which something has been cut out.

Excise

To remove by cutting

Undercut

An angled cut of the borders of an excision, which is made so that the skin surface will overhang the deeper tissue.

Excisions: Excision before death

Treat the wound

Excisions: Excision after death

Know proper techniques for removal

Know proper treatment requirements for the exposed deep tissue, following excision

Excising Tissue: Pre-embalming

Done only when the tumor is blocking circulation

Bridge sutures may be necessary to hold margins of the incision together

Bridge suture may be necessary to support the margins of a large area of excised tissue

Excising Tissue: Post-embalming

Excision is recommended post-embalming

Removal should occur within the buccal cavity (unexposed) whenever possible so that leakage will occur within the mouth and drain into the throat.

Undercutting may prove beneficial as opposed to perpendicular cuts

-To lock the wax under the edge of the wound

-To allow tapering of the wax over the edge of the wound

-To lower the level of ligature when performing a basket weave suture