Burn Treatment
Burn injuries can range from trivial ones which heal with minimal intervention to devastating life changing ones where normal appearance and function are hard to get back. Cause of burn can be varied, like electric injury, scald burn (hot liquid falling on body), flame burn (direct exposure to fire), inhalation burn, acid and other corrosives, and even due to friction.
Burn Treatment depends on a lot of factors like age of the person, type of burn, extent of body surface involved, depth of burn and other co-morbid conditions like diabetes, cardiac disease etc. Immediate management of burn, other than in case of electric injury, is to wash out the offending agent with cold, running water. Other than 1st degree burn, every burn requires referral to specialized plastic and burn unit.
Degrees of burn are: 1st degree – when it is only a reddish appearing skin (Only epidermal involvement and no dermal involvement) – these wounds heal on their own and only antibiotic ointment application is needed. 2nd degree – can be superficial with partial involvement of dermis, or deep with nearly entire dermis involved. This type of burn is very painful and needs specialized dressings or at times surgical intervention for healing. 3rd degree – is complete dermal involvement. This always needs surgery. 4th degree is involvement of muscles and bone. The assessment of degree and extent of burn, and management as per the need is done in burn care unit.
At Amandeep hospital, Amritsar, specialized plastic and burn surgeon take care of burn victims. Specialized burn ICU, isolation wards and operation theatres for burn victims aid in providing quality care to patients. Round-the-clock anaesthesia and surgeon availability makes it possible to save severe burn victims. Post burn deformities involving hand, face etc, are also treated at Amandeep hospital. Functional rehabilitation with good physiotherapy and occupational therapy makes the return of the patient to active social network possible.