burn

In medicine, destruction of body tissue by extremes of temperature, corrosive chemicals, electricity, or radiation. First-degree burns may cause reddening; second-degree burns cause blistering and irritation but usually heal spontaneously; third-degree burns are disfiguring and may be life-threatening.

Burns cause plasma, the fluid component of the blood, to leak from the blood vessels, and it is this loss of circulating fluid that engenders shock. Emergency treatment is needed for third-degree burns in order to replace the fluid volume, prevent infection (a serious threat to the severely burned), and reduce the pain. Plastic, or reconstructive, surgery, including skin grafting, may be required to compensate for damaged tissue and minimize disfigurement. If a skin graft is necessary, dead tissue must be removed from a burn (a process known as debridement) so that the patient's blood supply can nourish the graft.

Severe burns victims may experience a diminished response to insulin (as in diabetes) and therefore recover quicker if given additional insulin.

An artificial skin-replacement treatment, Integra, was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in 1996. Integra is made of purified collagen and shark cartilage. It forms lattice structures similar to dermis and enables the patient's own skin to regenerate. It also protects the burned area from loss of fluid and exposure to infection.