ABSTRACT
Burns are one of the most common accidents likely to befall a child. Thermal or chemical injury to the skin sets up a progression of local and systemic effects. Larger burns produce systemic effects, which, in the extreme, are one of the most devastating but potentially recoverable injuries that a human can sustain. The psychosocial background from which the patient comes often has a major contributing influence on the cause of the burn and will shape the way in which the child and his or her family reacts to the burn. In the long term, the quality of the emotional recovery is equally important as the physical recovery. Except for small straightforward burns, treatment is best given by a multidisciplinary group, the burns team.
