Burns (synonym: thermal injury; ICD-10 T20-T32) include conditions that result in tissue damage due to exposure to heat. The heat may be caused by, among other things, hot bodies, heated gases, or liquids (scald; ICD-10 X19.9!: Burn or scald caused by heat or hot substances) and by solar radiation (sunburn).
Burns can be differentiated based on their cause:
- Caused by flames (flame injuries, e.g., from ignition, barbecue accidents); majority of cases, approximately 55%.
- Caused by heated liquids and vapors – scalding; 40% of cases.
- By electrical and chemical fires; 5% of cases.
Burns occur frequently in the home environment.
Gender ratio: men are more often affected than women.
Frequency peak: scalds occur predominantly in infancy to 4 years. They account for approximately 70% of all injuries in this age group. In older children and adolescents, burns occur from improper handling of fire and flammable liquids and electrical accidents. Flame burns occur predominantly in adults between the ages of 15 and 64. One third of the accidents are accidents at work.
In Germany, approximately 350,000 thermal injuries occur each year, of which approximately 1,500 are severe burn injuries.
The incidence (frequency of new cases) for minor burns is about 600 cases per 100,000 inhabitants per year and for severe burns about 2-5 cases per 100,000 inhabitants per year (in Germany).
Course and prognosis: In the case of minor burns, it is not necessary to consult a doctor. Here, local cooling with lukewarm water is the quickest and easiest way to relieve pain.Larger burns produce severe pain in the affected person. However, there is also the case that the affected person does not perceive any pain in the burned area. Even then, a doctor should be consulted.
Note: In children, the significantly thinner skin compared to adults is associated with the risk of more severe damage in a shorter time and a resulting higher risk of scarring. Furthermore, there is an unfavorable ratio of affected/burned body surface area (VKOF) to body weight.
A burn injury with a large extent can also lead to circulatory shock and inflammatory general reactions of the body such as sepsis (blood poisoning). In the worst case, multiorgan failure (MOV; also: MODS: multiple organ dysfunction syndrome; this refers to the simultaneous or sequential failure or severe functional impairment of various vital organ systems of the body) occurs.
