Burn Degrees – How are Burn Injuries Classified?

Burn injuries may come in varying levels of severity, some requiring rest and home remedies, while others can leave a victim hospitalized. That’s why doctors use burn degrees to categorize these injuries into four distinct levels.

Degrees of burn injuries are distinguished by how deep and severe the burn seared through a victim’s body. Sometimes further damage may manifest after a day or two, so keep in mind these burn degrees to know the full extent of your injuries.

If your condition was the cause of negligence from another party, call a burn injury attorney to analyze your case. It’s vital to have a personal injury specialist so your case can survive the negotiation process, or even a court of law.

How Common are Burn Injuries?

There were 398,000 burn injuries requiring medical treatment in 2021 according to the CDC. The average cost to treat burn injuries is high; a recent review found that a mean total healthcare cost per burn patient was $88,218.

Admissions to the hospital for burns were most common around May-August. The mean age among all adult burn patients was 40 years, and 47% were female.

Burn degrees are a way to classify a burn injury based on the severity of burn damage on the body. To assess the degrees of burn after your accident, your doctor must know how deep your burn penetrated the skin and its effects on your body.

Burn injury victims can often be left with physical and emotional scars that may never heal. Therefore, you may be entitled to monetary compensation depending on the circumstances surrounding your burn injury.

First-Degree Burns – Epidermis Damage

First-degree burns damage the outer layer of skin. These burn injuries are typically categorized by pain, redness and discomfort. This burn degree is considered mild and includes most instances of sunburn.

The top layer of skin turns red and painful, but does not blister (or only minimally). In fact, the lack of blistering is what categorizes this type of burn as “first degree.”

Second-Degree Burns – Dermis Injuries

Second-degree burns include blistering and extend beyond the outer layer of skin. You may experience pain, redness, swelling and blistering.

These usually require medical treatment, but not hospital admission. This type of burn can take weeks to heal and discolor your skin for months or even years.

Third-Degree Burns – Full Skin Damage

Third-degree burns damage all the layers of skin: epidermis, dermis and fat. They can also destroy nerves and leave permanent scarring. The burn also destroys hair follicles and sweat glands.

Because third-degree burns damage nerve endings, sufferers usually don’t feel pain in the area of the burn itself. Third-degree burns often take a white, brown, or charred appearance.

These burns require immediate medical treatment and hospital admission. Long-term medical care may be needed as well. Expect some degree of medical assistance for all burns, but injuries damaging all layers of skin deserve utmost medical care.

Fourth-Degree Burns – Possible Bone Exposure

Fourth-degree burns are the most severe. They damage muscles and bone, and can even lead to organ failure. As with third-degree burns, there is no feeling in the area of the burn as the nerve endings are destroyed.

These burns are most likely life-threatening and require immediate medical treatment and ultimately, transfer to a burn center that specializes in treating this kind of severe injury.

How are Burn Degrees Diagnosed?

A healthcare provider examines the burn injury to determine its degree or severity. They estimate the percentage of the body affected by the burn and its depth.

• First and second-degree burns covering less than 10% of the body are considered minor and rarely require hospitalization.
• Second-degree burns that cover about 10% of the body are classified as moderate and may require hospitalization.
• Third-degree burns that cover more than 1% of the body are considered severe and require hospitalization without a doubt. All fourth-degree burns are severe and require specialized medical treatment.

Not only do medical professionals classify burns by their severity and depth, but also its effect on other important organs.

An electrical burn may affect the heart in ways that extend past the initial burn. Inhaling harmful fumes from a house fire may affect your lungs and airways. Those with pre-existing conditions may sustain lethal injuries from even first and second-degree burns.

Responding Effectively to a Burn Injury

There are several immediate steps you can take if you must respond to a burn injury at your home or place of work:

1. Remove burning clothes or irrigate the burn to stop further damage.
2. Extinguish flames by:
   • Rolling on the ground
   • By applying an object to snuff out the flame
   • Using water or other fire-extinguishing liquids
3. Reduce the temperature of your burn by using cool water.
4. In chemical burns, you can use large amounts of water to dilute the solution.
5. Wrap the patient in a clean cloth or sheet and transport them to the hospital.

Don’t try to start first-aid treatment if your immediate safety is also at-risk. Take precautions to stop the spread of a burn, like turning off a gas stove or wearing protective gear. Do not apply ice to a burn, as that can cause further damage to the skin.

No matter what degree of burn injury you’re suffering from, it’s important to contact a medical professional to help you. After ensuring your immediate safety, learn the true nature of your injury to possibly use in trial as evidence for the damages you sustained.

What Commonly Causes a Burn Injury?

According to the World Health Organization, burn injuries are mainly caused by a variety of reasons, including:

• Hot solids
• Hot liquids
• Flames
• Radiation exposure
• Electricity
• Hard friction
• Contact with chemicals

The WHO offers the following recommendations to reduce burn risk:

• Enclose fires.
• Promote safer cookstoves and less hazardous fuels.
• Eliminate loose clothing around open flames or cookstoves.
• Apply safety regulations to housing construction.
• Lower the temperature in hot water taps.
• Promote fire safety education in the workplace.
• Ensure all homes have smoke detectors and fire extinguishers.

How to Properly Treat a Burn

Treatment depends on the degree of the burn. For first-degree burns, you can apply antibiotic cream and cover lightly with gauze. Take over-the-counter pain medication under the recommendation from your doctor.

For second degree burns, you can ask for an antibiotic cream that contains silver to kill bacteria. Elevating the burned area can also reduce pain and swelling.

Third-degree and fourth-degree burns can be life-threatening and often require skin grafts. This procedure replaces damaged tissue with healthy skin from another of the uninjured parts of a person’s body. Treatment also includes fluids given intravenously to keep blood pressure steady and prevent shock and dehydration.

Common Symptoms of a Burn Injury

Symptoms are the worst the first few hours or days after the burn. Burn symptoms include:

• Blisters
• Pain
• Swelling
• White or charred (blackened) skin
• Peeling skin

Symptoms range between burn degrees, but if you’re unsure what type of burn you suffered, it’s best to consult a medical professional.

Prove Your Burn Injury with a Personal Injury Attorney

If you’ve suffered a burn injury, it’s important to seek legal assistance from a burn injury attorney as soon as possible. Once you ensure your immediate safety, act quickly with your loved ones to secure the compensation you deserve.

An attorney can evaluate your case, advise you on your rights, and help you pursue compensation for your burn injuries and related expenses through proper negotiation or litigation.

By working with a skilled burn injury attorney, you can navigate the complexities of the legal process and strive to achieve a fair outcome for your situation. Need to speak to someone about a burn injury? Schedule a free consultation with an attorney in our network below.