Burn wound eschar

Burn wound eschar is a dry, thick, often black or brown piece of necrotic tissue that forms on the surface of the skin following a severe burn or other devitalizing injury. It is not the same as a scab (dried blood and exudate) but represents dead and devitalized skin and subcutaneous tissue, sometimes acting as a physical barrier to wound healing and increasing the risk of infection. Eschar may be allowed to slough naturally or require removal by surgical (debridement, escharotomy), enzymatic, mechanical, or autolytic means if infection or compromised circulation is suspected. Eschar is an important clinical finding in burn medicine and wound care, but it is not an individual molecular or cellular target for drug action.

Other names

Escharnecrotic tissue (burn)black wounddevitalized tissue

Antimicrobials prevent or treat infection in tissue beneath or surrounding eschar. Enzymatic debridement facilitates breakdown/removal of necrotic tissue. Surgical debridement or escharotomy physically removes the eschar to restore blood flow, relieve pressure, or access healthy tissue.