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In an article on burn injuries in The Hindu, following are stated:
- Out of 30 lakh burn injuries every year in India, 10 lakh victims die and most of them are women and children.
- Burn injuries can be from heat, electricity, chemicals, light or radiation.
- First degree burns involve upper skin (epidermis) and need about a week to heal.
- Second degree burns involve upper skin (epidermis and and portions of dermis), sweat glands, hair follicles, etc leading blister formation, swelling and pain and require two weeks to heal.
- Third degree burns involve deeper skin, charring the tissues and structures and may require three weeks to heal.
- Fourth degree burns involve subcutaneous tissue, tendons and even bone damage.
- Hot air inhaled during fire incidents damage respiratory tract and swelling and lead to complications.
- Beyond 40 degree centigrade, protein in the skin is coagulated causing tissue destruction.
- In chemical burns, protein is converted rapidly to salt causing same damage.
Burn injuries also affect psychology of the persons and require care and counselling.
During acid splash, generally persons wash with some water and do their business. But until unless total chemical is washed, it will continue to cause destruction. There can be delayed effects from inhalation of vapors from the dress material that is soaked with the chemicals like HF, phosgene, etc leading to deaths in the sleep.
Alkali burns cause more destruction to eyes even to the extent of blindness.
Alkali burns cause more destruction to eyes even to the extent of blindness.
Therefore, removing the clothes with chemicals, continuous washing for atleast 15 minutes (even then only about 93-95% chemical is washed off) is necessary and this information should be spread among all persons working with chemicals.
In case of flash burns from arc flash, the temperature can be 20000 degree centigrade and can lead to deaths.
Then, immediate treatment to burn victims is also a must. As it gets delayed, damage will be more and chances of recovery will come down. One should know, whom to contact, which hospital to be referred and action should be taken to quickly shift the victim with care.
In case of flash burns from arc flash, the temperature can be 20000 degree centigrade and can lead to deaths.
Then, immediate treatment to burn victims is also a must. As it gets delayed, damage will be more and chances of recovery will come down. One should know, whom to contact, which hospital to be referred and action should be taken to quickly shift the victim with care.
