Prediction, Identification, and Initial Treatment Guide for Scald Injuries

The prediction and treatment of hot-liquid scald injuries is complicated by the complex heat transfer within living tissue, incomplete information associated with scald incidents, and inherent limitations with accurate injury-depth estimation. To provide some guidance for the prediction, identification, and initial treatment, a single comprehensive resource is valuable. This review addresses these three issues. With regard to prediction, use is made of state-of-the-art hot-liquid scald information from the scientific literature. For both identification and treatment, the scientific literature and accepted standards of medical care are elucidated. The primary focus here is on hot-beverage spills because of their frequency; however, the results can be used for other hot-liquid scalding scenarios. Recommendations are made to avoid serious burn injuries and to rapidly treat injuries that occur