Different Treatment Methods for Third-Degree Burns

Third-degree burns are the most damaging type the body can encounter and almost always require hospitalization. Luckily, once in the hospital, medical professionals have a number of approaches they can take to treat third-degree burns.

Damage from a Third-Degree Burn

• Third-degree burns destroy the dermis and epidermis and can affect other organs, tissues and bones in the body if they are severe enough. They typically create charred patches on the skin, which turn white, brown or black.
  Damage from third-degree burns can require a patient to be placed in a hyperbaric chamber, which is essentially a room full of oxygen that is under pressure, though this treatment is usually only effective when it is done within the first 24 hours after being burned. The hyperbaric chamber helps heal third-degree burns.

Cleaning and Debriding

• Third-degree burns must be treated in the proper way to avoid further damage. Any third degree burn requires medical attention and long-term hospitalization.

  If you encounter such injuries, call an ambulance or get the victim to a hospital immediately. Do not apply ice, cold water, lotion, spray, ointment, or any other liquid to a third degree burn.

  Depending on the severity of the burns, different treatments are used. One method calls for cleaning and debriding the burn early. This means removing dead skin and tissue from the burned area. This is medical procedure and is performed in a special bathtub or done as a surgical procedure in the hospital.

  Other procedures that follow cleaning and debriding include: IV antibiotics and fluids; covering burns with antibiotic cream or ointment and wrapping them in sterile bandages; and pain medication. Medical professionals may also put a patient on a high protein diet during the hospital stay to support the healing process.

Follow-up Treatment for Third-Degree Burns

• Cosmetic surgery or skin grafting is usually required for a third degree burn to heal properly. In skin grafting, skin is taken from unburned parts of the patient's body called donor sites. The donor sites are usually taken from the buttocks or inner thighs. A power dermatome is used to set the depth and shave off the skin for grafting onto the burned site.

  A skin graft may be done on a partial thickness or full thickness burn. Partial thickness skin grafts don't need to be closed and will start healing themselves in 10 to 14 days. Full thickness skin grafts have to be closed surgically and take several weeks to heal. When large sections of the body have to be grafted, a mesh (made of multiple skin grafts) is used.

  Serious burns can have a psychological effect on victims. For this reason psychotherapy may be required as outpatient treatment. Long-term physical therapy may also be required for victims to help them function in a normal way again.