New York City Burn injuries

Burn injuries can be extremely painful and traumatic, especially if they were caused by a defective product or by the negligence of  another person.  The American Burn Association estimates that over one million burns requiring medical attention occur every year in the United States.  Most burn injuries are caused by automobile accidents, gas or other flammable liquid explosions, hot or scalding water, electrical accidents, industrial accidents, building fires, gasoline spills, defective candles, and lighters or matches.

The injuries sustained can range from minor to severe, often referred to as "degrees" of severity.  The most common types of burns result in either a first, second, or third degree injury, although the most severe burn is a sixth-degree injury.  The following list describes what constitutes each type of injury, from the most minor (first-degree) to a catastrophic (sixth-degree) burn.

• First-degree: The skin is generally red at the site of the burn and shows some white plaque.  The victim feels some minor pain at the injury site.
• Second-degree: In addition to the symptoms of a first degree burn, a second degree burn will fill with clear fluid and involve some blistering.  The dermis and the deep, or reticular, dermis layer of skin may be affected and the injured person may feel more or less pain depending on the level of nerve involvement.
• Third-degree: The skin has been damaged to the point of being charred, producing leather-like scabs called eschars.  Purple fluid is often present and pain is relatively low or non-existent because the nerves surrounding the injury have been destroyed.
• Fourth-degree: These burns affect the muscles and bones and the skin is unable to be repaired.
• Fifth-degree: Muscles are destroyed by the burn.
• Sixth-degree: All tissue is destroyed and the bone has been charred.  

Severe burns may require a skin graft if there is not enough healthy skin to cover the wound.  Skin graft operations involve risks, however, and those who have severe injuries may not be strong enough or have enough healthy skin to donate for the graft.  Science has been making some strides in this area recently and provides some options for patients who are unable to use their own skin.