Burns: Classification and Treatment - Medical Animation
This animation may only be used in support of a single legal proceeding and for no other purpose. Read our License Agreement for details. To license this image for other purposes, click here.
Burns: Classification and Treatment - Medical Animation
MEDICAL ANIMATION TRANSCRIPT: Burns are skin injuries caused by heat, chemicals, electricity, or radiation. Your doctor will recommend treatment based on the size of your burn and the layers of skin the burn effects. Your skin has three main layers, the epidermis, the dermis, and the hypodermis, or subcutaneous layer containing fat, blood vessels, and nerves. Beneath the skin are tissues such as muscle, fascia, and bone. First degree or superficial burns affect only your epidermis. The burn site appears red and dry, with no blisters, and is mildly painful. Second degree or partial thickness burns involve your epidermis and portions of your upper dermis and lower dermis. The burn site is red and moist and may be blistered, swollen, and very painful. Third degree or full thickness burns extend through your dermis and into the hypodermis. The burn site appears patchy in color, ranging from white to brown, with a dry, leathery texture. Because the burn is so deep, it causes little or no pain. Fourth degree burns involve the destruction of all layers of your skin, sometimes extending into the underlying muscle or bone. These burns are brown, dry, charred, and almost always painless. You can treat your first degree burn by soaking it in cool water for a few minutes. To soothe and protect the tissue, apply an antibiotic ointment and cover with a clean, dry bandage. You can take acetaminophen or ibuprofen for pain. Care for a second degree burn by soaking in cool water for several minutes. Apply an antibiotic ointment to prevent infection, and cover with a clean, dry, non-stick bandage. Change your bandage every day, and make sure your hands are clean. Acetaminophen or ibuprofen may help with pain and swelling. If you have a third or fourth degree burn, go immediately to an emergency department. If you can, elevate the burned body part higher than your heart. You will also need to seek medical attention if your burn is larger than three inches in diameter or if it is located on your face, hands, feet, groin, buttocks, or over a major joint.
"It is my experience that it's much more effective to show a jury what
happened than simply to tell a jury what happened. In this day and age where
people are used to getting information visually, through television and
other visual media, I would be at a disadvantage using only words.
I teach a Litigation Process class at the University of Baltimore Law Schooland use [Medical Legal Art's] animation in my class. Students always saythat they never really understood what happened to [to my client] until theysaw the animation.
Animations are powerful communication tools that should be used wheneverpossible to persuade juries."
Andrew G. Slutkin Snyder Slutkin & Kopec Baltimore, MD
"There is nothing like a great graphic depicting the real nature and
extent of a victim's injuries to get full value for your client. I use
Medical Legal Art for mediations as well as trial."
Geoff Wells
Greene, Broillet, Panish & Wheeler
Santa Monica, CA
"We are extremely pleased with the quality of the medical exhibits and the
timely manner in which they were provided. I will certainly recommend
your company to my business associates who could benefit from your services.
Please tell Brian Wilson [Director of Content Development, Senior Medical
Illustrator] that he did an exceptional job on these exhibits."
K. Henderson
Dunaway and Associates
Anderson, SC
"Our firm was able to settle our case at an all day mediation yesterday and
I am confident that the detail and overall appearance of the medical
illustrations significantly contributed to the settlement. When we require
medical illustrations in the future, I will be sure to contact [MLA]."
Noel Turner, III
Burts, Turner, Rhodes & Thompson
Spartanburg, SC
Medical Legal Art creates medical demonstrative evidence (medical
illustrations, drawings, pictures, graphics, charts, medical animations,
anatomical models, and interactive presentations) for use during legal
proceedings, including research, demand letters, client conferences,
depositions, arbitrations, mediations, settlement conferences, mock jury
trials and for use in the courtroom. We do not provide legal or medical
advice. If you have legal questions, you should find a lawyer with whom you
can discuss your case issues. If you have medical questions, you should seek the advice of a healthcare provider.