Burns & Multi-Trauma Stabilization

Burn severity is classified by depth — superficial (epidermis only, like sunburn), partial-thickness (extends into the dermis, painful, blistering), and full-thickness (extends through the dermis, often painless at the burn itself due to nerve destruction, though surrounding partial-thickness areas may hurt significantly) — and by extent, commonly estimated using the "rule of nines" to guide fluid resuscitation calculations. As with any major trauma, airway and breathing come first, particularly screening for inhalation injury (singed nasal hair, soot around the mouth/nose, hoarseness) after a fire in an enclosed space, since airway swelling can progress over hours even without obvious external burns.