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Dressing
and Bandaging
Functionally, dressings are applied to absorb drainage and isolate the wound from the environment. Sometimes, healthcare professionals use antimicrobial agents (such as Microcyn®-based products, i.e. Dermacyn Wound Care) before applying a dressing to prevent bacteria contamination and infection. Dressings come in various forms (from cotton gauze to synthetic bandages) depending on the nature of the burn wound. Joints are bandaged to facilitate range of motion and extremities, such as arms, legs, fingers and toes, are often bandaged separately to isolate specific injuries. The frequency of dressing change can range from twice daily to once a week. These routine changes enable healthcare professionals to check for infection and monitor the healing process.
Skin Grafts Treatment of severe burns often requires skin grafting. Skin grafts involve taking skin from unburned sites on the body, referred to as donor sites, and grafting that skin onto the burn wound. The grafted skin attaches to the underlying tissue and effectively closes the wound.
By using a patient's own skin to cover a burn wound, the risk of tissue rejection is eliminated. However, skin grafts are often a challenge for patients with severe burns across large portions of their body. In these instances there may not be sufficient donor site skin to immediately cover all of the individual's wounds. Skin flaps are a complex type of skin graft that attach donor
skin and underlying tissue by surgically connecting blood supply
from the wound to the transferred skin. Skin flaps and other skin
replacement methods are sometimes used in situations where standard
skin grafts are not possible or where alternative methods are preferred. Recovering from burns The time taken for burns to heal depends on how serious they are. Most superficial burns heal within about two weeks and do not usually leave a scar. Deeper burns take longer to heal and sometimes require skin grafts. This is a plastic surgery technique using skin from an unaffected part of the body to repair an injured area of skin that is not going to be able to heal itself. Third-degree burns tend to result in scars that can be difficult to treat. Specialist treatment by plastic surgeons in these cases is aimed at minimizing such scars. Other types of treatment or support may be required as part of rehabilitation after burns. Physiotherapy can help restore movement to burnt areas, especially the hands. Advice on how to apply specialist products for camouflaging scars is available from volunteers in some dermatology departments. Psychological treatments such as counseling can help people who have been burnt to come to terms with having been in an accident or with any serious changes to their appearance.
Fire prevention For most people, the greatest threat of injury or death from fire is in the home. The most common causes of fire are:
A simple bedtime routine can prevent fires.
Installing strategically placed smoke alarms, and ensuring they have fresh batteries, can save lives where these safety measures fail.
NOTE: Microcyn® does not have U.S. FDA clearance for claims other than to moisten, lubricate, cleanse and debride wounds. |
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A
graft "takes" when new blood vessels and tissue form
in the injured area. Sometimes, skin grafts do not take because
of complications such as infection (the most common cause of graft
failure) or shearing (pressure causing a graft to detach from the
skin). While grafting is a proven and effective treatment, it is
important to understand that all grafts leave some scarring at
both the donor and recipient sites.
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