Utah Burn Injury Types

As explained on our “Burn Injuries” page, victim’s of burn injuries experience suffering that is physical, mental and emotional. With burn causes ranging from contact with fire, hot liquids that result in scalding, thermal burns, chemical burns, and electrical burns, the likelihood of you being a burn victim is very high. The three types, or, “Degrees” of burns fall under the three following categories:

For each degree of burn we have provided you with an informational page on signs and treatment options. Along with this, we have provided more basic burn statistics and first aid options that have been provided by the CDC.

Table of Contents

Background Information

On average in the United States in 2004, someone died in a fire every 135 minutes, and someone was injured every 30 minutes (Karter 2005).
Each year in the United States, 1.1 million burn injuries require medical attention (American Burn Association, 2002).
- Approximately 50,000 burn injuries require hospitalization;
- Approximately 20,000 are major burns involving at least 25 percent of the total body surface;
- Approximately 4,500 of these people die.
Up to 10,000 people in the United States die every year of burn-related infections.
Only 60 percent of Americans have an escape plan, and of those, only 25 percent have practiced it (NFPA, 1999).
Smoke alarms cut your chances of dying in a fire in half (NFPA, 1999).

Immediate Treatment for Burn Victims

What you do to treat a burn in the first few minutes after it occurs can make a huge difference in the severity of the injury.

“Stop, Drop, and Roll” to smother flames.
Remove all burned clothing. If clothing adheres to the skin, cut or tear around burned area.
Remove all jewelry, belts, tight clothing, etc., from over the burned areas and from around the victim’s neck. This is very important; burned areas swell immediately.

Image “Burn Degree Diagram” copyright by Persian Poet Gal.

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