TYPES OF BURNS AND THEIR CHARACTERISTICS (WITH PICTURES) - GEOGRAFÍA - 2025

The types of burns can be classified according to their depth, severity and agents that have caused them. A burn is defined as an injury that affects the various layers of the skin after coming into contact with a dangerous external agent. These losses of substance from the body surface can be produced by different agents (heat, cold, electricity, chemicals or radiation).

The skin is the largest organ in the human body, it can be affected in different ways since it is the part of the body that is most exposed. Therefore, it is common to suffer various types of injuries in it. One of the most serious can be burns.

Burns are one of the most frequent accidents that exist. They can be very serious and can even incapacitate a person or lead to death. According to data from studies on these types of injuries, at least 85% of them could be avoided.

A person who has suffered a burn will evolve depending on various elements. The causative agent of the injury, the exposure time, its intensity, the age and the diseases that the patient presents, will have a great influence on the healing time of the wounds. In many cases, cell death of organic tissue or even death of the affected person can occur.

Burns can be classified in different ways: according to their depth, according to their severity and according to their causative agents.

Types of burns according to their depth

According to the penetration of the external agent on the skin, burns can be classified into three types: first degree, second degree and third degree. Each of them depends on the intensity of the effect of the agent, as well as the duration of the exposure.

First degree burn

This is the least serious type of burn. It only affects the epidermis, which is the surface layer of the skin. This lesion consists of a painful erythema and is not exudative, that is, it does not come out through the pores or cracks, any liquid or viscous substance. There are also no blisters or blisters.

Symptoms of first degree burns include redness of the skin, dryness, swelling in the affected area, and pain. A few days after the injury, scaling appears and the burn is likely to leave hyperpigmented areas.

Its healing is spontaneous in the course of 3 to 4 days and does not leave a scar. This type of injury is usually caused by prolonged exposure to the sun, infrared rays or by contact with hot liquids or objects such as plates, stoves, firewood, among others for a very short time.

Second degree burn

These types of burns are more serious than the previous ones, since they not only affect the epidermis but also the intermediate layer of the skin, the dermis. Depending on their penetration they can be classified into two types.

The first is the superficial second degree burn, called superficial dermal. This destroys the epidermis plus the superficial dermis and produces blisters. When removed, its base is bright red, shows excess serum exudate, bleaches under pressure, is extremely sensitive to the touch and painful. It heals spontaneously in about three weeks and often leaves a scar.

The second is the deep second degree burn, called deep dermal. This destroys the epidermis plus the dermis and also produces blisters.

The burned surface is white or gray, it has less exudate, it is painful but to a lesser extent than the previous one and some areas may have lost sensitivity. The healing in this case is much slower and may take more than a month to heal. Leave a scar.

Other symptoms of second-degree burns, in general, include redness of the skin, a shiny appearance due to oozing fluid, possible loss of parts of the skin, increased edema, and sensitivity to air.

This type of burns can be caused by contact with very hot liquids such as oil or water, by exposure to flames, among others.

Third degree burn

This is the most serious type of burn. This injury not only destroys the tissue but also goes through the entire thickness of the skin. By injuring all three layers of the skin, it is known as a total burn.

It can even burn muscles, fat, blood vessels, tendons or bones. It can be so serious as to destroy the regenerative capacity of the skin. And they could even be painless, because the nerves are rendered useless.

In this case, the skin has a whitish or charred appearance, no blisters are produced, and it looks dry and puffy. This type of injury always leaves a scar in the affected area, which can be irregular with atrophic, hypertrophic or keloid parts.

These burns may even require skin grafts. They can be caused by fire, by prolonged exposure to hot liquids, by contact with hot objects, with electricity, or with acids.

According to the criterion of severity

Due to the complexity of this type of injury, it is necessary to have various classification and orientation criteria.

Depending on their depth, they can be first, second and third degree, but according to the extent of these injuries in the body, they can be classified in three different ways: minor, moderate and severe.

Minor burns

Minor burns are all first degree injuries. But this category also includes superficial type second-degree lesions, but only those with less than 15% extension in adults and less than 10% in children.

Minor burns also include those classified as deep second degree and third degree that are less than 1% in length, although this may depend on their location.

Moderate burns

Moderate burns are all classified as superficial second degree. But only those that are between 15% and 30% long. Also included are all those of second or third degree with less than 10% extension, as well as all those that have been caused by chemical or electrical agents.

Severe burns

This category includes all superficial second-degree burns that are more than 30% in length. Also included are all those of the second degree of the deep type and those of the third degree with more than 10% extension. All burns that are accompanied by significant respiratory injuries are classified as serious injuries.

According to its causes

Thermal burns

This is the most common cause of burns, with an estimated 90% of cases occurring. They are due to contact with any external source of heat that can increase skin temperature such as boiling liquid, fire, hot metals, and steam. This type of burn causes tissue cells to die or become charred.

In this type of burns, the heat source can be wet or dry. In the first case, they are those caused by hot liquids such as boiling water, steam, oils, among others. The severity of these injuries depends on several aspects: temperature, exposure time and the area of ​​the body affected.

In the case of dry heat, burns are caused by flames, embers, stoves, gas explosions, hot metals, among others. Sunburn caused by ultraviolet radiation can also fall into this category.

Electrical burns

This is the type of burn caused by electrical current, either alternating or continuous. However, in this case, those produced by alternating current tend to predominate since it is the one used in the domestic environment.

The injuries that produce this type of burns have special characteristics, especially since the damage is often not apparent. And although the skin may have a normal appearance, it can hide serious muscle injuries. These types of burns are always serious.

It is worth noting that the severity of these injuries will depend on the characteristics of the electric current such as the intensity in amperes, the path of the current, the time and the contact area, the resistance of the tissues and of course, the type of current: alternating or continuous. The first is low voltage and for domestic use, while the second is high voltage and industrial use.

Chemical burns

This type of burn occurs when the body comes in contact with irritating substances, either physical or by ingestion. When in contact with the skin, these chemicals can cause various reactions in the body. And in the event that the substance is ingested, injury can occur to internal organs.

Chemical burns often occur from contact with acids and bases. This type of injury is referred to as caustic burns. These chemicals can cause very serious burns and can occur anywhere chemical materials are handled.

The most common products that cause this type of burns are automotive battery acid, cleaning products, bleach, ammonia, cleaning products used by dentists and products used in the chlorination of swimming pools, among others.

Radiation burns

Another of the most common burns are those caused by radiation, such as X-rays or ultraviolet rays. Damage to tissues is specifically due to exposure to ionizing radiation.

This type of exposure, when it occurs in large doses, can decrease the production of blood cells, damage the digestive tract, damage the heart, the cardiovascular system, the brain and the skin. It can also increase your risk of cancer.

Skin lesions from radiation have symptoms such as itching, tingling, redness of the skin, and swelling due to fluid build-up.

Depending on the affected area and the time of exposure, other symptoms may occur. On the other hand, these lesions can appear a few hours after exposure or even several days later.

References

1. Management of burns, classification / El Médico Interactivo Rosa Píriz Campos. Accessed January 9, 2017.
2. Types of burns / Daily Health. Accessed January 8, 2017.
3. Burns / Medical Encyclopedia / MedlinePlus. Accessed January 9, 2017.
4. Francisco Lorenzo Tapia. Nursing care in the burn unit. Editorial Vértice SL 2008: 78-138.
5. Burns from chemical agents / Surgery Notebooks / UACh Electronic Magazine. Osvaldo Iribarren B and Claudio González G. Accessed on January 9, 2017.