Burns

In medicine, a burn is a type of injury to the skin caused by heat, cold, electricity, chemicals, or radiation.  

In classical medical literature, there were six degrees, the first three of which are still commonly used by the public.  First-degree burns are usually limited to redness, a white plaque and minor pain at the site of injury. These burns usually extend only into the epidermis. Second-degree burns additionally fill with clear fluid, have superficial blistering of the skin, and can involve more or less pain depending on the level of nerve involvement. Second-degree burns involve the superficial dermis and may also involve the deep dermis layer. Third-degree burns additionally have charring of the skin, and produce hard, leather-like eschars. An eschar is a scab that has separated from the unaffected part of the body. Frequently, there is also purple fluid. These types of burns are often painless because nerve endings have been destroyed in the involved areas.

Burns that injure the tissues underlying the skin, such as the muscles or bones, are sometimes categorized as fourth-degree burns. These burns are additionally broken down into three additional degrees: fourth-degree burns result in the skin being irretrievably lost, fifth-degree burns result in muscle being irretrievably lost, and sixth-degree burns result in bone being charred.

...More at Wikipedia  

Related Links:

• US National Library of Medicine

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