The threshold in cal/cm for an incurable burn is ?

The threshold in cal/cm for an incurable burn is ?

• A. 0.5 cal/cm2
• B. 2.0 cal/cm2
• C. 3.0 cal/cm2
• D. 1.2 cal/cm2

Answer: (D)

When heat is transferred to the skin, the amount of energy per area (cal/cm2) determines how severe a burn will be. There is a threshold where the damage becomes irreversible, meaning the tissue injury is not easily healed without intervention. That threshold for an incurable burn is about 1.2 cal/cm2. Below this level, burns tend to be superficial or heal with time; above it, the injury can be deep enough that healing is unlikely without medical treatment. The other values represent higher or lower starting points for burn severity, but they don’t identify the energy level at which burns become irreversibly damaging.

When heat is transferred to the skin, the amount of energy per area (cal/cm2) determines how severe a burn will be. There is a threshold where the damage becomes irreversible, meaning the tissue injury is not easily healed without intervention. That threshold for an incurable burn is about 1.2 cal/cm2. Below this level, burns tend to be superficial or heal with time; above it, the injury can be deep enough that healing is unlikely without medical treatment. The other values represent higher or lower starting points for burn severity, but they don’t identify the energy level at which burns become irreversibly damaging.