A burn is an injury to a person's skin or even flesh. Heat, cold, electricity, chemicals, friction, or radiation can be the cause of a burn. Most burns are due to heat from hot liquids, solids, or fire. While rates are similar for males and females the underlying causes often differ. Among women in some areas, risk is related to use of open cooking fires or unsafe stoves. Among men, risk is related to the work environments. Alcoholism and smoking are other risk factors. Burns can also occur as a result of self harm or violence between people.
Burns can be very serious injuries, and in some cases can even cause death. Depending on how deep the burn goes and amount of skin affected, a burn can be a medical emergency. For children, at least five percent of the skin needs to be affected. Adults can tolerate up to ten percent of affected skin.
Burns of a certain extent affect the body as a whole: Common reactions are circulatory shock, systemic inflammatory response syndrome and sepsis.