Understanding Common Burn Injuries

Burn injuries account for almost as many accidental deaths in the United States as car accidents. Each year, over one million Americans will suffer from a burn injury. Kansas City burn injury victims often face debilitating results following a burn injury. The pain can persist for years. Learn about the types of burn Injuries and what burn patients may face in the years to come.

An astonishing 4,500 burn injuries will result in death annually. For the survivors of burn injuries, the physical pain can be unbearable. The initial treatment for the burn injury can be painful, extensive, and expensive. Follow-up treatment can become an overwhelming aspect of life with multiple surgeries, skin grafts, check-ups and other treatments. Physical scarring, such as keloid scars, can leave the burn patient with a life completely different than the life they had before the burn injury. Emotional scarring can be debilitating as well.

Hospitalization is a requirement for around 500,000 burn patient every year. Amazingly, 43 percent of burn injuries occur in the home. Another amazing statistic shows that the same amount of fires, 43 percent, happen in homes with no fire alarm system. Fires cause a perplexing $7 billion in damages annually.

You should know that there are several different types of burn injuries. Each of these injuries carries its own special brand of dangers and treatment requirements.

• Electrical burn injuries are the result of a high voltage current traveling through the body. The painful exit wound is often a severe burn.
• Thermal burns are burns that involve exposure to high heat, above 115 degrees Fahrenheit, from steam, boiling water, fires, or heated metal.
• Chemical burns result from exposure to dangerous chemicals.
• Radiation injuries can happen when the person is exposed to nuclear radiation, like an x-ray. Tanning beds or other sources of ultraviolet light can also cause radiation burns.
• Inhalation burns come from breathing in toxic gases. Internal injuries to the respiratory system are often the result.

Burn injuries are grouped into three different categories. Each category, or degree, ranks the severity of the injury and the damage to the patient's body.

• First degree burns affect the outer layer of the skin's surface. Following exposure the skin will appear red and blotchy. The skin will be sensitive and painful, and swollen as well. First degree burns do not go past the first layer of skin.
• Second degree burns are characterized by redness and swelling. Blisters are a common symptom of second degree burns. Swelling and pain make the patient extremely uncomfortable. Untreated severe second degree burns can turn into more serious third degree burns.
• Third degree burns are sometimes not painful due to the destruction of nerve tissue. Third degree burns are extremely serious injuries that must be treated by a doctor. Skin may appear see- through or even charred. Damage to three layers of skin make the long term prognosis of burns difficult. Many burns will take a long time to heal. Scarring is usually bad as well.

Sometimes, a severe enough burn injury will be characterized as a fourth degree burn. This type of burn extends beyond the skin to muscle and bone tissue. Fourth degree burns can require amputation and may be life threatening.

If you or a loved one were involved in an accident and have suffered a burn injury you may have many questions about your rights. The Kansas City personal injury lawyers at Kansas City Accident Injury Attorneys offer a free consultation by calling 888-348-2616.

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