Exposure to hot water is one method of physical abuse employed against small children and mentally challenged patients. If the exposure is sufficiently long and the water sufficiently hot, then a serious thermal injury can occur.
|
Water Temperature in °C |
Time to 1st Degree Burn |
Time to 2nd or 3rd Degree Burn |
Time Intervals |
|
< 44 |
> 5 |
> 5 |
hours |
|
44 |
4.8 |
6.4 |
hours |
|
45 |
1.9 |
2.9 |
hours |
|
46 |
47 |
81.8 |
minutes |
|
47 |
20.5 |
36.9 |
minutes |
|
48 |
9.7 |
18.1 |
minutes |
|
49 |
4.6 |
9.7 |
minutes |
|
50 |
2.2 |
4.9 |
minutes |
|
51 |
1.3 |
2.8 |
minutes |
|
52 |
43.3 |
88.2 |
seconds |
|
53 |
27.3 |
53.4 |
seconds |
|
54 |
18.4 |
35.1 |
seconds |
|
55 |
12.3 |
23.1 |
seconds |
|
56 |
8.5 |
16.5 |
seconds |
|
57 |
6.1 |
11.8 |
seconds |
|
58 |
4.3 |
8.8 |
seconds |
|
59 |
3.4 |
6.6 |
seconds |
|
60 |
2.6 |
5.0 |
seconds |
|
61 |
2.1 |
4.0 |
seconds |
|
62 |
1.7 |
3.2 |
seconds |
|
63 |
1.4 |
2.7 |
seconds |
|
64 |
1.2 |
2.3 |
seconds |
|
65 |
1 |
1.9 |
seconds |
|
66 |
< 1 |
1.7 |
seconds |
|
67 |
< 1 |
1.5 |
seconds |
|
68 |
< 1 |
1.3 |
seconds |
|
69 |
< 1 |
1.1 |
seconds |
|
70 |
< 1 |
1.0 |
seconds |
derived from Text-Figure 4, page 711, Moritz 1947.
Specialty: Clinical Laboratory, Emergency Medicine, Pedatrics
ICD-10: ,
