Validating the relationship between burn temperature, duration of exposure and tissue injury severity for scald burns

Abstract

Scald injury events are a common occurrence in early childhood. To reduce the risk to children of sustaining severe burn injuries, understanding the relationship between water temperatures, duration of exposure and tissue injury severity is essential. Current data used to predict the severity of burn injury and guide global scald burn prevention strategies is from the 1940s and has never been validated histologically for differentiating between superficial and deep dermal damage. While all burn injuries are painful and distressing for a child, severe deep dermal burns will require hospitalisation for extensive medical treatment, surgical intervention and may lead to scarring in the long term. Therefore it is essential to appreciate not only the burn conditions predicted to result in a cutaneous injury, but also to estimate the severity of injury, with particular reference to the more serious and clinically relevant deep dermal and full thickness burns.