The index of deep burn injury: An analysis of 66 extremity sites in 15 children

The group of burn injuries generally classified as 'fourth degree' vary enormously in extent and severity. This fact, and the absence of a widely accepted grading system for these relatively uncommon injuries, has hindered our ability to learn from the experiences of others as reported in the literature. Based on a series of cadaver dissections, the Index of Deep Burn Injury (IDBI) was developed to provide such a classification scheme. The initial experience with the IDBI in a group of locally destructive 'fourth degree' wounds is presented. It is believed that this index has the potential to improve our ability to describe highly destructive wounds. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd for ISBI.