Hand Burn Hand burn Burns to the hand
Hand Burn
Hand burn • Burns to the hand are common. Most are small and confined to the upper limb but some are part of a major burn. Although the hand comprises a small surface area, management of a hand burn assumes a high priority because of its functional importance. • The majority of hand burns can and are managed without complication in Accident Departments and General Practitioner Surgeries. • A minority, however, need early Specialist intervention.
The depth of a burn is simply divided in partial thickness and full thickness. Partial thickness burns have the capacity to heal rapidly because of the presence of viable dermal components. Re-epithelialization occurs from both the base and the edge of the burn-wound and healing should be complete within 21 days. Full thickness burns only heal from the edge and therefore healing is slow in anything but the smallest burns. Delayed healing results in a poor quality contracted scar which, in the hand, inevitably compromises function.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW • Electrical burns occur when current jumps from an electrical outlet, cord or appliance and passes through your body. The electricity can burn the skin--sometimes very deeply--and may also cause internal damage. How quickly you heal depends on the severity of the burns and injuries
Signs/Symptoms There are three degrees of severity, each with distinctive symptoms: • First-degree burns are mild and injure only the outer layer of skin. The skin becomes red, but turns white when touched. The area may also be painful to the touch. • Second-degree burns are deeper, more severe, and very painful. Blisters may form on the burned area. This type of burn takes about 2 weeks to heal. • Third-degree burns are the deepest and most serious kind. The skin becomes white and leathery, but it does not feel very tender when touched. • There may be swelling in the burned area. Serious burns may be accompanied by headache, fever, and dizziness.
Causes • There are innumerable ways for anyone-particularly a child--to get an electrical burn. Among the leading causes are sticking a knife into a plugged-in toaster, dropping a plugged-in appliance into water, sucking or chewing on an electrical cord, and sticking something into an electrical outlet.
Care • Always call your doctor when you get an electrical burn. If the burn is small, you may be able to take care of it at home; but if the burn is large or you received a serious shock from the electricity, you should get to the hospital right away. Do not drive yourself.
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