Feel the Burn, Heal the Burn: Wound Care Management

The Approach: How to Help HealWe promised you some information about soft tissue injuries, and you’ve got to hand it to us: we delivered! Last month, we discussed incision and drainage of large burns to the hand. Review it here before reading further: http://bit.ly/RobertsBurn. This month, we want to take an in-depth look at wound care management for burns and highlight other pearls needed for top-notch healing.   You should try to follow a few simple rules when it comes to treating burn patients. Soft tissue skin injuries heal in stages and are dependent on direct and correct treatment of the area, nutrition, and hydration. Most providers fail to mention the benefits of protein and fluid intake to burn patients, especially if they are minor injuries. Nutrition and hydration play a major role in the healing process along with keeping the area clean, dry, and properly bandaged.   Be sure to familiarize yourself with the proper essential wound care materials: What is Kerlix? When do I use Xeroform? What type of splint is best? Know where things are in your emergency department stockroom. Actively involve and engage your patient in managing his burn care during your first application of the bandage. Print proper written instructions reiterating the information with phone numbers for local burn centers and specialists. Provide pain management, and take time to answer the “dumb question.” Infected burns are painful and can be debilitating, not to mention that patients are ...
Source: The Procedural Pause - Category: Emergency Medicine Tags: Blog Posts Source Type: blogs