Management of the pediatric patient with burns.

Two million people in the United States receive medical treatment each year for burn injuries. One hundred thousand of these patients are hospitalized, and 7800 die as a direct result of their injuries. Of the patients that are hospitalized 30% to 40% are under 15 years of age.

The role of the psychiatrist in the team treatment of the adult patient with burns.

Improved survival rates for patients with major burn injuries and the consistent finding of significant long-term psychologic disability among survivors of burn trauma call for a redefinition of the role of the psychiatric consultant in the care of patients with burns. In addition to the traditional functions of diagnosis and treatment of discrete psychiatric disorders in patients with burns, this expanded role includes assisting the patient's normal process of psychologic adaptation after injury, assessing and managing burn pain, and facilitating communication among all members of the burn team. The functions of the psychiatrist are most effectively carried out when the psychiatrist is able to participate on a regular basis in the care of every patient as a member of the burn team.

Purulent pericarditis in an adult burn patient treated with survival.

A 41-year-old white-skinned male admitted with 40 per cent total body surface area partial and full skin thickness burns developed septic pericarditis. He had a severe inhalation injury and subsequent pneumothorax. Multiple fibreoptic bronchoscopies were required.

The use of erythropoietin in two burned patients who are Jehovah's Witnesses.

Recombinant-human erythropoietin was given to two burn patients who are Jehovah's Witnesses and hence refused transfusion. Anaemia developing postburn was corrected in both patients. Serum erythropoietin levels were found to be elevated prior to initiation of therapy in both patients.

Psychological stages in adaptation following burn injury: a method for facilitating psychological recovery of burn victims.

As a result of clinical observation of 444 patients hospitalized for treatment of acute burn injury at Humana Burn Center between July 1983 and October 1986, we have developed a seven-stage method of assessing and assisting the burn victim's psychological recovery. This method delineates the stages in the normal psychological healing process in burn victims and offers specific suggestions for staff interventions to assist the patient at each stage. This method can be utilized in an integrated fashion by all members of the multi-disciplinary burn team to expedite the patient's psychological recovery and to maximize his compliance with necessary treatment modalities.