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Abstract
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A 3-year-old boy was brought to the emergency room by his mother. She reported that the child, reaching above his head, accidentally pulled a cup of hot coffee onto himself from the countertop.
A scald is a thermal injury resulting from exposure to hot fluid. The vulnerability of children to such injuries can be attributed to their thinner dermis and a higher proportion of body surface area exposed to scalding agents compared with adults. The rate of heat transfer from a liquid to the skin depends on the temperature gradient between the applied heat source and the skin, the thickness of the skin, and its thermal conductivity. It can be calculated from the formula:1
Q=KL(T1−T2)
Where:
Q = Heat transfer per unit time
K = Thermal conductivity of skin
L = Skin thickness
T1 = Temperature of the heat source
T2 = Tissue surface temperature
Time-temperature thresholds have been used to set water safety standards, predict burn severity, and provide forensic evidence. Pioneering studies by Henriques and Moritz investigating porcine and human subjects revealed that tissue injury becomes apparent at temperatures exceeding 44°C, leading to a logarithmic increase in tissue destruction (Figure 2; Table 1).2 Human skin, being hydrophilic, possesses high specific heat and low thermal conductivity, resulting in slow overheating and cooling processes. Consequently, thermal damage continues after the burning agent is removed. ...
Language: en |