Third-degree burns
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Third-degree burns
Third-degree burns, also called full-thickness burns, injure all the layers of the skin as well as the fatty tissue beneath them. These are serious burns that can affect the skin's ability to grow back.
A third-degree burn can cause severe pain. However, if nerve endings are damaged, the burn may not hurt right away. Third-degree burns may look white, cherry red, or black, and they do not change color when you press on them (they do not blanch). Although blisters may develop, the burn is mostly dry, hard, and leathery-looking.
Common causes of third-degree burns are steam, hot oil, grease, chemicals, electrical currents, and hot liquids.
Infection is a major concern with third-degree burns. These burns always require care from a doctor. With small burns, new skin sometimes grows in from unburned areas. Large burns may require skin grafts and surgery.
Credits
| Author | Jeannette Curtis |
| Author | Caroline Rea, RN, BS, MS |
| Editor | Kathleen M. Ariss, MS |
| Editor | Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA |
| Associate Editor | Tracy Landauer |
| Associate Editor | Pat Truman |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Patrice Burgess, MD - Family Medicine |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine |
| Last Updated | May 25, 2007 |
| Last updated: | May 25, 2007 |
|---|---|
| Author: | Caroline Rea, RN, BS, MS |
| Reviewed By: | Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine |
| Editors: | Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Pat Truman |
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