Absence of Skin in Third-Degree Burns & Skeletal Mass and Fractures

by | Jan 30, 2025 | Analysis

 

Part A
Patients with third-degree burns demonstrate the loss of vital functions performed by the skin.

What are the two most important problems encountered clinically with such patients? Explain each in terms of the absence of skin.
Part B

During what period of life does skeletal mass increase dramatically? Begin to decline?
Why are fractures most common in elderly individuals?
Why are greenstick fractures most common in children?

Sample solution

Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell. 

In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.


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God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.

Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.

To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.

 

References

Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.

Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.

Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.

Part A: Third-Degree Burns and Loss of Skin Functions

Patients with third-degree burns, which damage all layers of the skin, face two critical problems:

  1. Fluid Loss and Dehydration: The skin acts as a barrier to prevent fluid loss. With extensive burns, this barrier is compromised, leading to rapid fluid loss and dehydration. This can cause electrolyte imbalances, shock, and even organ failure if not addressed promptly.

  2. Infection: The skin provides a first line of defense against infection. With third-degree burns, this protective layer is breached, making patients highly susceptible to bacterial, fungal, and viral infections. These infections can be life-threatening and require aggressive treatment.

Part B: Skeletal Mass and Fractures

  • Skeletal Mass Increase and Decline: Skeletal mass increases dramatically during childhood and adolescence, peaking around age 30. After this, it gradually declines throughout life.

  • Fractures in Elderly Individuals: Fractures are most common in elderly individuals due to several factors:

    • Decreased Bone Density: Osteoporosis, a condition characterized by weakened bones, becomes more prevalent with age, making bones more susceptible to fractures.
    • Falls: Elderly individuals are more prone to falls due to balance problems, muscle weakness, and vision impairment.
    • Slower Healing: The body’s ability to heal fractures slows down with age, increasing the risk of complications.

Part A: Third-Degree Burns and Loss of Skin Functions

Patients with third-degree burns, which damage all layers of the skin, face two critical problems:

  1. Fluid Loss and Dehydration: The skin acts as a barrier to prevent fluid loss. With extensive burns, this barrier is compromised, leading to rapid fluid loss and dehydration. This can cause electrolyte imbalances, shock, and even organ failure if not addressed promptly.

  2. Infection: The skin provides a first line of defense against infection. With third-degree burns, this protective layer is breached, making patients highly susceptible to bacterial, fungal, and viral infections. These infections can be life-threatening and require aggressive treatment.

Part B: Skeletal Mass and Fractures

  • Skeletal Mass Increase and Decline: Skeletal mass increases dramatically during childhood and adolescence, peaking around age 30. After this, it gradually declines throughout life.

  • Fractures in Elderly Individuals: Fractures are most common in elderly individuals due to several factors:

    • Decreased Bone Density: Osteoporosis, a condition characterized by weakened bones, becomes more prevalent with age, making bones more susceptible to fractures.
    • Falls: Elderly individuals are more prone to falls due to balance problems, muscle weakness, and vision impairment.
    • Slower Healing: The body’s ability to heal fractures slows down with age, increasing the risk of complications.
    • Decreased Bone Density: Osteoporosis, a condition characterized by weakened bones, becomes more prevalent with age, making bones more susceptible to fractures.
    • Falls: Elderly individuals are more prone to falls due to balance problems, muscle weakness, and vision impairment.
    • Slower Healing: The body’s ability to heal fractures slows down with age, increasing the risk of complications.

  • Greenstick Fractures in Children: Greenstick fractures, where the bone bends but doesn’t break completely, are more common in children because their bones are more flexible and less brittle than adult bones. This flexibility allows the bone to absorb some of the force without completely breaking.

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