Scalding is a form of thermal burn resulting from heated

fluid In physics, a fluid is a liquid, gas, or other material that may continuously motion, move and Deformation (physics), deform (''flow'') under an applied shear stress, or external force. They have zero shear modulus, or, in simpler terms, are M ...

s such as boiling water or steam. Most scalds are considered first- or second-degree burns, but third-degree burns can result, especially with prolonged contact. The term is from the Latin word ''calidus'', meaning hot.

Causes

Most scalds result from exposure to high-temperature water, such as tap water in baths and showers, water heaters, or cooking water, or from spilled hot drinks, such as

coffee Coffee is a beverage brewed from roasted, ground coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content, but decaffeinated coffee is also commercially a ...

. Scalds can be more severe when steam impinges on the naked skin, because steam can reach higher temperatures than water, and it transfers latent heat by condensation. However, when clothes are soaked with hot water, the heat transfer is often of a longer duration, since the body part cannot be removed from the heat source as quickly.

Temperatures

The temperature of tap water should not exceed to prevent discomfort and scalding. However, it is necessary to keep warm water at a temperature of to inhibit the growth of

legionella ''Legionella'' is a genus of gram-negative bacteria, gram-negative bacteria that can be seen using a silver stain or grown in a special media that contains cysteine, an amino acid. It is known to cause legionellosis (all illnesses caused by ''Legi ...

bacteria. The American Burn Association states that a scalding injury occurs when skin is placed in contact with water measuring 155 degrees Fahrenheit, or 68 degrees Celsius, for one second. Burn injuries may occur in two seconds, for water measuring 148 degrees Fahrenheit, or 64 degrees Celsius. At 140 degrees Fahrenheit, or 60 degrees Celsius, scalding injuries may occur within five seconds. Scalding injuries can occur within 15 seconds of exposure to water that is 133 degrees Fahrenheit, or 56 degrees Celsius. At 125 degrees Fahrenheit, or 52 degrees Celsius, scalding injuries may occur in 90 seconds. Scalds are more common in children, especially from the accidental spilling of hot liquids.

Treatment

Applying

first aid First aid is the first and immediate assistance given to any person with a medical emergency, with care provided to preserve life, prevent the condition from worsening, or to promote recovery until medical services arrive. First aid is gener ...

for scalds is the same as for burns. First, the site of the injury should be removed from the source of heat, to prevent further scalding. If the burn is at least second degree, remove any jewelry or clothing from the site, unless it is already stuck to the skin. Cool the scald for about 20 minutes with cool or lukewarm (not cold) water, such as water from a tap.Burns and scalds - NHS Choices
Treating Burns and Scalds. With second-degree burns, blisters will form, but should never be popped, as it only increases chances of

infection An infection is the invasion of tissue (biology), tissues by pathogens, their multiplication, and the reaction of host (biology), host tissues to the infectious agent and the toxins they produce. An infectious disease, also known as a transmis ...

. With third-degree burns, it is best to wrap the injury very loosely to keep it clean, and seek expert medical attention.

Treatments to avoid

Ice should be avoided, as it can do further damage to area around the injury,The Dos and Don'ts of Burns
What's the best way to treat a burn? as should butter and

toothpaste Toothpaste is a paste or gel dentifrice that is used with a toothbrush to clean and maintain the aesthetics of Human tooth, teeth. Toothpaste is used to promote oral hygiene: it is an abrasive that aids in removing dental plaque and food from th ...

Food production

Beef, poultry and pork

The carcasses of

beef Beef is the culinary name for meat from cattle (''Bos taurus''). Beef can be prepared in various ways; Cut of beef, cuts are often used for steak, which can be cooked to varying degrees of doneness, while trimmings are often Ground beef, grou ...

poultry Poultry () are domesticated birds kept by humans for the purpose of harvesting animal products such as meat, Eggs as food, eggs or feathers. The practice of animal husbandry, raising poultry is known as poultry farming. These birds are most typ ...

and

pork Pork is the culinary name for the meat of the pig (''Sus domesticus''). It is the most commonly consumed meat worldwide, with evidence of pig animal husbandry, husbandry dating back to 8000–9000 BCE. Pork is eaten both freshly cooke ...

are commonly scalded after slaughter, to facilitate the removal of feathers and hair. Methods include immersion in tanks of hot water or spraying with steam. The scalding may be hard or soft, in which the temperature or duration is varied. A hard scald of 58 °C (136.4 °F) for 2.5 minutes will remove the

epidermis The epidermis is the outermost of the three layers that comprise the skin, the inner layers being the dermis and Subcutaneous tissue, hypodermis. The epidermal layer provides a barrier to infection from environmental pathogens and regulates the ...

of poultry; this is commonly used for carcasses that will be frozen, so that their appearance is white and attractive.

Scalding milk

Scalded milk is

milk Milk is a white liquid food produced by the mammary glands of lactating mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals (including breastfeeding, breastfed human infants) before they are able to digestion, digest solid food. ...

that has been heated to . At this temperature,

bacteria Bacteria (; : bacterium) are ubiquitous, mostly free-living organisms often consisting of one Cell (biology), biological cell. They constitute a large domain (biology), domain of Prokaryote, prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micr ...

are killed,

enzymes An enzyme () is a protein that acts as a biological catalyst by accelerating chemical reactions. The molecules upon which enzymes may act are called substrates, and the enzyme converts the substrates into different molecules known as pro ...

in the milk are destroyed, and many of the proteins are denatured. In cooking, milk is typically scalded to increase its temperature, or to change the consistency or other cooking interactions due to the denaturing of proteins. Recipes that call for scalded milk include café au lait, baked milk, and ryazhenka. Scalded milk is used in

yogurt Yogurt (; , from , ; also spelled yoghurt, yogourt or yoghourt) is a food produced by bacterial Fermentation (food), fermentation of milk. Fermentation of sugars in the milk by these bacteria produces lactic acid, which acts on milk protein to ...

to make the proteins unfold, and to make sure that all organisms that could out-compete the yogurt culture's bacteria are killed. Milk is both scalded and also cooled in many recipes, such as for bread and other yeast doughs, as

pasteurization In food processing, pasteurization (American and British English spelling differences#-ise, -ize (-isation, -ization), also pasteurisation) is a process of food preservation in which packaged foods (e.g., milk and fruit juices) are treated wi ...

does not kill all bacteria, and the wild yeasts that may also be present can alter the texture and flavor. In addition, scalding milk improves the rise due to inhibition of bread rise by certain undenatured milk proteins.Corriher, Shirley. ''CookWise: The Hows & Whys of Successful Cooking, The Secrets of Cooking Revealed''. New York: William Morrow Cookbooks, 1997. .

References

External links

Burns
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