Burn treatments

Burn specialists often use a silicone membrane (i.e. Biobrane^®) or a silver impregnated foam (i.e. Mepilex AG^®) to cover burns and speed healing. Once the wound is cleaned and treated, specialists make a decision about the most appropriate dressing for the patient. The decision is based upon location, severity and extent of the burn wound. These dressings act as temporary substitute layer of skin so the burn can heal underneath and have several advantages over other types of dressings.

Both types of innovative burn coverings offer children with burns several advantages, such as:

• Less pain due to faster and easier dressing changes
• Shorter hospital stays
• Less scarring, since the dressings protect the burn from infection and does not require daily cleaning which can interfere with healing

Biobrane offers children with burns several the additional advantage of faster and easier dressing changes.

For patients with severe burns, inpatient care includes:

• Daily wound cleaning and care
• Pain management and sedation for procedures
• Nutrition counseling and a high-calorie diet, which can help healing
• Physical and occupational therapy to help with rehabilitation
• Family support services, including psychology, school reintegration and social work

After a child leaves the hospital, or has a burn that does not require a hospitalization, the next step is outpatient follow-up care to help the burn heal as well as possible.

• Our outpatient services include:
• Dressing changes
• Checking the burn for infection and healing
• Scar management
• Returning function to the affected body part
• Family support services, including child life specialists, psychology, and social work

Outpatient appointments can last up to one hour, since each specialist involved in the child's care meets with the patient. This helps the team work together to plan the child's care and saves families from having to schedule separate appointments.