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Second-Degree Burns: |
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Second-degree burns result from contact with hot liquids or solids, flash or fame contact with clothing, direct fame from fires, and contact with chemical substances. The skin appears moist and mottled, and it ranges in color from white to cherry red. The burned area is extremely painful. The epidermis and dermal layers of skin are usually burned, and damage may result to some fat domes of the subcutaneous (fatty tissue lust under the skin) layer. Second-degree burns are considered minor if they involve less than 15 percent of the body surface in adults and less than 10 percent in children. Fifteen to 30 percent of adult body surface and 10 to 20 percent of a child's body surface indicates a moderate second degree burn. The burn is also considered moderate if it involves the face, hands, feet, or genital area. A second-degree burn is considered critical if it involves more than 30 percent of the total body surface in an adult and 20 percent in a child. Healing of a minor second-degree burn usually requires five to twenty-one days. If infection occurs, healing time is extended to over thirty-five days, and the burn is con- sidered third-degree. |
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Third-Degree Burns: |
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Third-degree, or full-thickness burns, are the most serious, resulting from contact with hot liquids or solids, flame, chemicals, or electricity. The skin becomes dry and leathery; charred blood vessels are often visible. The skin is a mixture of colors: white (waxy- pearly), dark (khaki-mahogany), and charred. The patient feels little or no pain, because the nerve endings have been destroyed. Hair pulls out easily with no pain. The burn extends through all dermal layers and can involve subcutaneous layers, muscles, organs, and bone. Third-degree burns are considered minor if they occur on less than 2 percent of the body surface. Moderate burns involve 2 to 10 per- cent of the body surface. Third-degree burns are classified as critical if they occur on more than 10 percent of the total body surface, if there is any involvement of the face, hands, feet, or genital area, or if the burns are caused by chemicals or electricity. Third-degree burns that cover large areas usually require skin grafting and take months or years to heal completely; small areas require weeks. |
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Hypothermia |
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Hypothermia is not an illness that strikes only mountaineers. Some people can become sick from hypothermia in temperatures in the low 50s. Prevention is the best medicine.
• Wear a synthetic pile or wool sweater. These materials keep you warm even when wet. In addition, the synthetic materials dry very quickly.
• The worst material is cotton, which loses all of its warmth when wet.
• If wind or rain is a factor, make sure to bring a shell along.
• And if you expect temperatures below 40 or so, you should probably consider taking a down parka with you.
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Training for the Big Trip |
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a long hiking trip is just that: walking for a very long time in the outdoors. And that is, in fact, the best way to train for it.
• Seek opportunities to walk such as going to the store, taking the dog for a walk, or spending some time with a friend.
• Try taking the stairs instead of the elevator.
This is great work to prepare for any climbing you may do on your trip. Keep in mind that the better condition you are in, the better you'll feel, and therefore the more fun you'll have.
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