Burns

What are burns?

A burn is partial or complete damage to the skin – and possibly the underlying tissues – caused by exposure to a flame, a hot liquid, a chemical or an electric current.

Facts and figures

Every year, around 140,000 people suffer burns, and some 15,000 are treated by their GP. Each year, an average of 1,600 people with severe burns are admitted for an extended stay to one of Belgium’s 6 burns centres. At Oscare, around 1,000 patients a year follow an aftercare programme.

Severity of the burn

How serious a burn is depends on the size, depth and location of the wound. We distinguish between superficial and deep burns:

• With superficial burns, only the upper layers of the skin are damaged. The sense of touch remains intact. The surface of the wound is moist, and there are sometimes blisters.

• With deep burns, the sense of touch is always affected. The surface of the wound is often dry.

Depth of the burn

The depth of a burn depends on factors such as the temperature and how long the skin was in contact with the heat source, current or harmful substance. Burns are classified in ‘degrees’.

First- and second-degree burns are extremely painful.

With third-degree burns, the tissue beneath the skin – including the nerves – is damaged, so the person feels little or no pain.

Consequences of burns

When skin is burnt, it loses some of its vital functions.

• Heat loss: because the outer layer of skin is damaged, the body loses a lot of heat.

• Fluid loss: damaged skin cannot retain its moisture.

• Risk of infection: damaged skin offers too little protection against invading bacteria, which can lead to infections.

Scars

After treatment, deep burns leave permanent scars.

Aftercare and living with scars are the biggest challenge for burns patients once they leave hospital. You can read more about aftercare here.

Besides the huge impact scars have on social life, there are also physical limitations. Scar tissue doesn’t stretch, so moving freely can no longer be taken for granted. Reconstructive surgery remains a regular part of life for a burns patient.

Causes of burns

A burn can have various causes.

• Scalds from hot liquids and steam: the most common cause, especially in children, although more and more adults are also being scalded by hot liquids.

• Flame burns: direct contact with fire.

• Contact burns: direct contact with hot objects.

• Chemical burns: caused by contact with chemicals, which can keep acting on the skin for a long time.

• Electrical burns: current passing deep through the body can cause serious internal damage.

• Sunburn: an inflammatory reaction of the skin to excessive sun exposure.