Jamiel James Arceno Anatomy & Physiology Lab

BSN1B TTh (10:30am-1:30pm)

LEARNING EVIDENCE 2

Video Analysis

“Burn injuries are devastating to the body because it affects so many different
systems not just the skin, but also different organs. A burn is a lifelong injury, it never
totally goes away.”1 This was said by Cindy Rutter, an assistant nurse manager in the
UCSD Regional Burn Center, which tells us that burns can really be a life-threatening
injury in our lives. According to the World Health Organization, a burn is an injury to the
skin or other organic tissue primarily caused by heat or due to radiation, radioactivity,
electricity, friction or contact with chemicals, furthermore; it is a global public health
problem, accounting for an estimated 180 000 deaths annually.

Although, not all burns can be a serious problem, burns are categorized based
on how deep and severe they penetrate the skin's surface. In the video, Dr. John
Hansborough, the director of the UCSD Regional Burn Center tells us the different
classifications of burn injury and their characteristics. First-degree burns are a very light
burn on the upper epidermis layer of the skin which is commonly caused by sunburn.
Next is the second-degree burn, which affects the two top layers of the skin – the
epidermis and dermis and causes the skin to blister. Finally the third-degree burn, the
most dangerous type that affects the top two layers of skin and the fatty tissue beneath
which covers the muscles are burned, leaving the are completely unprotected. 2 One
noteworthy incident in the video was De Leon’s burn injury. De Leon accidentally set
himself and another man on fire, while lighting up a barbecue grill on the deck of a
cargo ship. De Leon had both second and third-degree burns over 80% of his body and
he had a slim chance of survival. A skin graft was necessary for his treatment; however,
he had little healthy skin left after the incident. Therefore, he was given cadaver skin as
a substitute instead. After several operations, his condition was finally stable. The
doctors and nurses at UCSD Regional Burn Center did their all to make the operation a
success, since burn patients often require multiple skin graft operations. In the process
of treatment of De Leon, the nurses were the ones monitoring his health and aids the

1
(1:07)
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(4:00)
Jamiel James Arceno Anatomy & Physiology Lab
BSN1B TTh (10:30am-1:30pm)

doctors and surgeons during operation proper, they also operated the medical
equipments and helped administer treatments. 3

To summarize, burns can be devastating in our lives. It can happen in an instant

and to anyone. Not all burns can be fatal; however, we must still take precautions and
treat it as soon as possible. The medical staff in the documentary was commendable in
doing their work; they still tried their best in treating burn patients despite their slim
chances of survival. It is apparent that every personnel in the healthcare center were
pivotal in terms of knowing their own roles and how they can contribute in administering
treatments and care for a patient. For instance, the surgeons were the ones leading the
operations, and the nurses were handling equipment and setting up the operation
rooms. I observed in the documentary, that nursing management does not stop after the
initial treatment; there are still many steps in assessing the condition of the patient after
the final evaluation and the discharge.

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(14:15)