Most of us have experienced burns before due to touching hot things such as an oven or very hot water, and they can be treated by using home methods, and over-the-counter preparations from the pharmacy, while there are other more serious burns that cause damage to the skin, muscles and bones, and require prolonged medical care such as Fourth degree burns, and below we will learn about the seriousness of this degree and how to treat it.

What are fourth degree burns?

They are the most severe and serious burns among other degrees of burns, and may be life-threatening, as all layers of the skin are damaged, and reach the muscles, tendons, and bones.

Causes of fourth degree burns

Fourth degree burns are mainly caused by flames, or chemical burns such as exposure to highly concentrated caustic acids.

• Thermal burns from exposure to an extremely hot stove or oven, direct flames, fire accidents, or exposure to a very hot iron.
• Exposure to an electric current.
• exposure to radiation;

In general, the degree of burns reaches the fourth degree when exposed to very severe damage to the skin, and this damage reaches deeper layers, including muscles, tendons, and nerves.

Symptoms of fourth degree burns

Here are the main symptoms of this degree of burn:

• The area of ​​skin affected by a fourth-degree burn looks charred.
• The affected area appears waxy white or gray.
• The appearance of muscle and bone tissue.
• Dryness of the affected skin.
• Painless as a result of damage to the nerve endings.
• It is only treated by surgical intervention.

The severity of fourth-degree burns

The lack of pain does not mean that the burns are not dangerous, but this indicates damage to the nerve endings, and the risk of exposure to the body of the injured person increases to bacterial, fungal, viral or foreign infections, which stimulates the body’s immune response that is more dangerous in severe burns, as it is likely To harm the heart, lungs, blood vessels, kidneys, and other organs.

In addition to the above, the body’s immune response causes a loss of fluid in the body, leading to a severe and dangerous drop in blood pressure (shock), or fluid retention and edema, both of which lead to internal tissues not receiving enough oxygen and causing damage.

Infection is one of the most prominent risks of severe burns, as it invades the internal tissues of the body with damage to the skin – which is a defensive barrier – and the weakening of the immune system as a result of burns, such as infection of the lungs and the occurrence of pneumonia, or entering the bloodstream and infection with septicemia, and all these risks are life-threatening, so The casualty must be taken to the emergency room immediately.

How to treat fourth degree burns

It is often not possible to do first aid for this degree of burns by ordinary people, so the injured must be transferred to the hospital immediately, where doctors follow advanced burn treatment protocols once they reach the hospital, so the wound is cleaned and sterilized and dead tissue is removed first, then the next surgical step depends on the location of the burn, The extent of its severity and the spread of damage in the body, and the following are the possible steps:

• Covering the wound with a skin graft or skin graft.
• Doctors give the patient intravenous fluids to replace the body and avoid dehydration.
• Give the patient pain medication.
• Giving the patient antibiotics to prevent infection.

After the skin is healed, the doctors follow the general condition of the body, and the extent of the impact of the burn damage on it, and accordingly, a decision is made to perform cosmetic reconstruction operations to correct the damaged parts, and the patient may need treatments in addition to treating the affected joints and muscles. shock effect.