Prehospital Burn Care
Published (updated: ).
Expose the burn
The wound must be exposed by removing all clothing from the patient. When melted clothing has adhered to the skin, cut the and remove the clothing from around the affected area. If clothing is not removed from the patient, it will stick to the patient’s burn.
Cover with large dry loosely packed strerile dressing
Loosely covering the burn with a sterile burn sheet will protect the patient’s skin from the air and minimize contact with the stretcher. This measure will minimize the amount of infection the patient will experience during transport.
Transport the patient to the correct hospital
Some burns need to be transported to a burn center. Burn centers manage the patient and the burns through the continuum of care. When patient’s have experienced a burn with a body surface areas greater than 10%, the patient will experienced three distinct phases:
| Stage | Name | Time From Burn | What They Need | Treatment Needed |
| 1 | Incipient Phase | 0 – 8 Hours | Pain Control, Controlled Amount of Fluids | Transport to burn center for debridement |
| 2 | Fluid Shift Phase | 8- 24 Hours | Careful monitoring of fluids | Wound care, supportive care |
| 3 | Malnutrition Phase | > 24 Hours | Not an ambulance | More calories than they can eat |
A burn center, burn unit or burns unit is a hospital specializing in the treatment of burns. Burn centers are often used for the treatment and recovery of patients with more severe burns. The severity of a burn, and therefore whether a referral will be made after the patient is treated and stabilized, differs depending upon many factors, among them: the age of the patient.
Burn centers employ a team approach for the management of critically burnt patient. Usually the burns management team consists of plastic surgeon, intensivist, chest physician, general surgeon, pediatrician, nurses and technicians, microbiologist, psychiatrist, nutritionist, physiotherapist and a social worker. Early burn wound excision and immediate wound cover can improve the chances of survival in major burn cases.
