Burns: Emergencies

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Emergencies

• Breathing stops. After calling 911 or other emergency services, see the topic Dealing With Emergencies.
• Signs of decreased level of consciousness develop, such as sleepiness (lethargy), confusion, extreme restlessness, or agitation.
• Moderate to severe difficulty breathing from an airway burn or chemical fumes (smoke inhalation) develops:
  • In children.
  • In adults and older children.
• Signs of shock develop:
  • In children.
  • In adults and older children.
• Other serious injuries are present.
• Burns extend through the skin to injure muscle and bones (fourth-degree burn).
• Third-degree burns are present over more than 2% of the body.
• Second-degree burns are present over:
  • More than 10% of the body of a person younger than age 10 or older than age 50.
  • More than 15% of the body of a person between ages 10 to 50.

Note:

If a chemical has been swallowed that may be a poison or may cause burning in the throat and esophagus, call your local Poison Control Center or the National Poison Control Hotline (1-800-222-1222) immediately for information on treatment. When you call the Poison Control Center, have the chemical container with you, so you can read the content label to the Poison Control staff member. The Poison Control Center can help determine what steps to take next.

Last updated:	February 02, 2007
Author:	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA
Reviewed By:	William M. Green, MD - Emergency Medicine, H. Michael O'Connor, MD - Emergency Medicine
Editors:	Sydney Youngerman-Cole, RN, BSN, RNC, Tracy Landauer