Thermal (Heat or Fire) BurnsMedical Author:
John P. Cunha, DO, FACOEP
John P. Cunha, DO, FACOEPJohn P. Cunha, DO, is a U.S. board-certified Emergency Medicine Physician. Dr. Cunha's educational background includes a BS in Biology from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, and a DO from the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences in Kansas City, MO. He completed residency training in Emergency Medicine at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in Newark, New Jersey. Medical Editor:
Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor
Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical EditorMelissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.
Thermal Burns OverviewFrom simple sunburn on vacation to touching a hot pot on a stove, many of us have experienced minor burns at one time or another. Thermal burn injuries are very common. Annually, 500,000 people receive medical treatment for burn injuries. Children are particularly at risk due to accidental burns. The type of burn and the severity of the burn depend on the number of layers of skin affected. Most burns are mild, but some may be severe. Most importantly, 75% of burns are estimated to be preventable. |
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Thermal Burns (Heat or Fire)
Tetanus Overview
Tetanus is an infectious disease caused by contamination of wounds from the bacteria Clostridium tetani, or the spores they produce that live in the soil, and animal feces. Tetanus has been recognized for centuries; the term is derived from the ancient Greek words tetanos and teinein, meaning taut and stretched, which describe the condition of the muscles affected by the toxin, tetanospasm, produced by Clostridium tetani. The causative bacterium, Clostridium tetani, is a hardy organism capable of living many years in the soil in a form called a spore. The bacterium was first isolated in 1889 by S. Kitasato while he was working with R. Koch in Germany. Kitasato also found the toxin responsible for tetanus and developed the first protective vaccine against the disease.
Tetanus occurs when a wound becomes contaminated with Clostridium tetani bacterial spores. Infection follows when spores become ...
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Burns, Thermal »
Burn injuries account for an estimated 700,000 annual emergency department (ED) visits per year.
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