TY - CHAP M1 - Book, Section TI - Burns A1 - Hamm, Rose A1 - Carey, Joseph N. PY - 2021 T2 - Essential Elements of Wound Diagnosis AB - Dermal injury that is termed “burn” can occur from thermal (heat and cold), chemical, electrical, and radiation sources, and while the clinical presentations have some similarities, the medical management of each condition is unique and specialized. The transfer of kinetic energy from any of these sources to the cellular structures of the skin causes a local inflammatory state, and the extent of exposure to the offending source and the amount of tissue damage can also result in systemic pathophysiologic processes. There are two important factors common to all of these conditions. First, any damage to the skin disrupts the body’s natural barrier from the external environment and its microbes; therefore, infection is of utmost concern in treating any burn wound. Second, there are individual patient factors that affect the ability to heal, including nutrition, oxygenation, fluid resuscitation, age, co-morbidities, and stress.1 Each one of these factors has to be evaluated and treated in the overall management of patients with burn injuries. This chapter reviews the tissue and systemic changes that occur with each type of burn, the classification systems used to describe tissue damage, and the medical and wound management for each type of dermal destruction in order to preserve both function and esthetics for the patient. SN - PB - McGraw Hill CY - New York, NY Y2 - 2024/03/28 UR - accessmedicine.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1179616184 ER -