Burns

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Rule of Nines

Aetiology

  • Thermal
  • Flame
  • Chemical
  • Electrical
  • Radiation
  • Friction

Assessment

Type of burn

  • Partial thickness
    • Blistered
    • Painful
    • Red
    • Superficial
    • Deep Dermal
  • Full thickness
    • No blisters
    • No sensation
    • Grey/white

Area

Indication of inhalational injury

  • Burns to face
  • Soot in mouth
  • Laryngeal/pharyngeal oedema
  • Burnt Nostril Hairs
  • Respiratory depression

Management

Admit if  >10% child or >15% adult

  • Airway
    • Circumferential burns leading to strangulation
  • Breathing
    • Any inhalational injury?
  • Circulation
    • Assess burn surface area
    • Formal fluid resuscitation
    • Catheterise
  • Escharotomies - to bleeding tissue
  • Investigations
    • FBC
    • HCT
    • U&Es
    • Arterial Blood Gas
    • Carboxyhaemoglobin
    • Cultures
  • Tetanus, Ranitidine, NG feed
  • Debridement of dead tissue
  • Graft

Fluid Resuscitation

Muir & Barcley 

  • Per period
    • mls of crystalloid/period =( %suface area of burn x weight (Kg)) / 2
    • +100ml colloid
  • Administer over 6 periods
    • Periods 1,2 and 3 are 4 hours long
    • Periods 4&5 are 6 hours long
    • Period 6 is 12 hours long
  • Periods are from the time of the burn so if resuscitation starts late must catch up
    • e.g if 4 hours from burn (and patient still alive!) then fluid for period 1 must be administered as fast as possible and fluid for period 2 must be administered over the next 4 hours,
  • On top of this you must add on normal daily fluid balance
  • Reassess at end of each period
    • Hb
    • U&E's
    • HCT
    • Urine Output
  • Dressings

    • Face, Perineum - open
    • Hands - plastic bags (not clingfilm!)
    • Jelonet
    • Inadine
    • Mepitil
    • NA Ultra
    • Release
    • Duoderm - Not for infected

    Complications

    • Infection
      • Sepsis
      • Poor healing
    • Scarring
      • Cosmetic
      • Contractures
     
 

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