Rehabilitation of Burns in Disasters and Conflicts

Welcome to Rehabilitation in Disaster and Conflict Situations Content Development Project. Please do not edit unless you are involved in this project, but please come back in the near future to check out new information!! If you would like to get involved in this project and earn accreditation for your contributions, please get in touch!

Original Editors - Add your name/s here if you are the original editor/s of this page.  User Name

Top Contributors - Stacy Schiurring, Naomi O'Reilly, Rishika Babburu, Kim Jackson, Jess Bell, Chelsea Mclene and Carin Hunter      

Introduction[edit | edit source]

Burn injuries are complex and involved injuries which require immediate and specialised interventions. Burn injuries commonly require a prolonged rehabilitation process to return to functional independence, often with adaptation or compensatory training in the long-term. These patients will require both physical and psychological support throughout their rehabilitation process, this is especially true when injury occurs as a result of disaster or conflict.[1] Acutely, rehabilitation will be supportive of the medical needs of the patient. However, rehabilitation plays an important role in the acute phase to prepare the patient both physically and mentally for the therapy to come. This article will focus on physical rehabilitation of patients who have had a burn injury, but will include important wound care considerations with regards to mobility and positioning.

Burn Overview[edit | edit source]

Epidermis Overview[edit | edit source]

Types of Burns[edit | edit source]

According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, burns have several common causes which include but are not limited to:

  1. Thermal burns: due to heat sources which raise the temperature of the skin and surrounding tissues. This causes tissue cell death or charring. Heat sources can include: hot metals, scalding liquids, steam, and flames.
  2. Radiation burns: due to prolonged exposure to ultraviolet rays or to other sources of radiation. Radiation sources can include: the sun, X-rays.
  3. Chemical burns: due to strong acids, alkalies, detergents, or solvents which come into contact with the skin.
  4. Electrical burns: due to electrical current, either alternating current (AC) or direct current (DC) coming into contact with the body. [2]

Immediate Medical Care Needs[edit | edit source]

From resource[edit | edit source]

Add your content to this page here!

Rehabilitation Needs[edit | edit source]

Acute Burn Injury Mobility Precautions[edit | edit source]

  • Burns encountered in conflict zones or disaster areas are often combined with trauma injuries such as fractures[1], internal injuries, or brain and or head injuries. Appropriate mobility precautions such as extremity weightbearing status, spinal and or cervical immobilization, or bedrest needs in the case of internal organ injuries or bleeding need to be determined with the medical team.
  • If shrapnel is present in the burn/wound which cannot be easily removed due to risk of further tissue damage, it may be left in place.[1] Defer to medical team regarding mobilization in these cases.

Acute Rehabilitation[edit | edit source]

Continued Rehabilitation[edit | edit source]

Treatment Red Flags[edit | edit source]

S/S of sepsis

Resources[edit | edit source]

References [edit | edit source]

see adding references tutorial. 

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Lathia C, Skelton P, Clift Z. Early rehabilitation in conflicts and disasters. Handicap International: London, UK. 2020.
  2. ↑ Johns Hopkins Medicine. Burns and Wounds. Available form: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/burns [last accessed 02/03/2022].
 
Retrieved from "https://www.physio-pedia.com/index.php?title=Rehabilitation_of_Burns_in_Disasters_and_Conflicts&oldid=296568"