In a 2nd degree burn, the epidermis and especially the upper layers of the underlying dermis (corium, dermis) are damaged by heat. It is part of the general classification of burn injuries. Read all important information about 2nd degree combustion here!
combustion grade
2nd degree combustion can be divided again depending on its depth. A 2nd degree burn type a only affects the upper layers of the dermis. The skin appendages such as glands remain intact. A 2nd degree combustion type b expands into the deep layers of the corium. Deeper burns (down to the subcutaneous tissue) are referred to as 3rd degree or 4th degree burns (down to the muscle tissue). The degree of combustion 2 Type b is sometimes also described as 3rd degree combustion.
Skin damage caused by hot liquids is called scalding. As with the classification of classic burns here correspondingly destroyed upper and dermis layers are referred to as a 2nd degree scald.
Frequency combustion 2nd degree
According to federal health reporting, in 2013, 9478 people were clinically diagnosed with 2nd degree burns. In more than 2000 cases, the hands or wrists were affected, followed by second degree burns on the legs (1985 cases), on the head and neck (1619 cases) and on the body (1606 cases).
2nd degree burn: healing time
The deeper the burn, the more protracted the healing process of a burn. A 2nd degree burn type a usually heals after two weeks. The injury usually leaves scars scarcely. Doctors speak in this case of a “Restitutio ad integrum”, so the skin looks the same after healing as before.
The healing process of a second-degree deep combustion is different. Healing time and appearance are significantly different from that of easier burning. Only after about a month does the burn seal itself with scar tissue. In some cases, such as large-area and very deep second-degree burns type b, the dead tissue must be surgically removed and replaced with skin grafts.
Basically, the exact distinction of a 2nd degree combustion from that of a 3rd degree is significant. As in a third degree burn a spontaneous healing is very tedious and there are great risks of infection, surgery is usually carried out here and skin is transplanted if necessary. The degree of burn can be well assessed by the doctor about 24 hours after the burn. The so-called needle test helps. If the physician sticks with a needle into the affected area, the patient will notice a third-degree burn as opposed to one 2nd degree combustion no pain.