Most people in Louisiana have had a minor burn at some point in their lives. Perhaps they accidentally touched a hot pan in the oven, or they stayed outside too long and got a sunburn. These minor burns are everyday occurrences, but there are some common causes of more severe burns that vary based on the age of the burn victim.
For children under age eight, the most common type of burn is a scalding. This can happen, for example, if a child pulls a pot of hot water on the stove down over themselves or if the child is placed in bath water that is too hot. Sometimes microwaved foods can spill, causing serious burns. Young children can also be burned if they touch the glass front of a fireplace door. Older children may be more apt to play with matches. When it comes to adults, the most prevalent type of burn injuries comes from house fires or from the use of flammable liquids. Grease burns are also common.
Burn injuries have been described as some of the most severe pain possible. Burn trauma centers aim to provide not just care to the physical injury but also pain control. This may require powerful narcotics, such as morphine.
While there have been many advancements in the area of burn treatments, this doesn’t take away from the fact that they can be serious, disfiguring injuries. In addition, a severe burn can cause emotional trauma, even to the point where the burn victim suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder. It is important that those who suffer burn injuries seek the help they need to recover both physically and emotionally.
Sometimes burn injuries are due to unfortunate accidents. However, other times they are due to another person’s negligence. For example, a person is burned in a car accident where the impact of the crash causes their vehicle to catch fire. Or a person could be burned in a building fire negligently caused by another individual. In such situations, it is important that burn victims obtain the resources they need to recover, and to hold any negligent parties accountable.