ABSTRACT
Contents Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 540 Prevalence of Pediatric Burn Injury ..........................................................................................541 Classication of Burns ............................................................................................................. 542 Importance of the Skin ............................................................................................................ 543 Common Surgical Procedures in Acute Care ........................................................................... 543 Emergent Procedures ............................................................................................................... 544 Scarring ....................................................................................................................................545 Reconstruction ........................................................................................................................ 546
Tissue Expansion ................................................................................................................ 546 Z-Plasty/Scar Contracture Excision..................................................................................... 547
Itching .................................................................................................................................... 547 Rehabilitation Issues and Interventions ................................................................................... 547 Outpatient Services ................................................................................................................. 548 Educational Issues and School Reentry .................................................................................... 548 Nutritional Issues .................................................................................................................... 549 Growth Issues .......................................................................................................................... 549 ’erapeutic Interventions ........................................................................................................ 549
Pressure Garments and Splints ............................................................................................ 549 Prosthetics ...........................................................................................................................550 Pain Management ................................................................................................................550 Massage ...............................................................................................................................550 Exercise ................................................................................................................................551
Special Considerations..............................................................................................................551 Presence of Inhalation Injury ...............................................................................................551
Introduction A serious pediatric burn injury is always an unexpected event and one that causes crisis and chaos from the moment it occurs. ’e initial insult to the child victim’s body is profound and the ongoing acute care and rehabilitation is fraught with a myriad of issues including pain, confusion, and grief. Survival, following a serious burn injury, takes tremendous perseverance, courage, and fortitude. It involves following a course of endurance; one that can be especially di°cult and challenging when the patient is a child. ’e life care planner plays an important role in helping to map out a recovery journey for the pediatric burn patient. ’eir task is to create a well thoughtout, well-documented, and reasonable plan that will assist the child and their family in navigating the long-term recovery journey. ’e case manager becomes a key player in the execution of this dynamic document, which must address the immediate and long-term physical, emotional, social, and nancial needs of the burn victim.
