Essential Burn Care for Non-Burn Specialists

Despite a decreasing number of burns and improvement in mortality of burn patients in the United States, burn injuries are still frequent, and there are about 486,000 burn injuries requiring medical treatment each year. There are only 128 burn centers in the United States with some states having none. Non-burn specialists such as emergency medicine physicians, primary care physicians, pediatricians, and Advanced Practice Providers will inevitably treat burn patients, especially for small burns. In many instances, the first clinicians to see burn patients are non-burn specialists in the urgent care, ED or family medicine clinic yet they typically do not have any formal training or exposure to burn injuries in residency or medical school as it is not a routine curriculum. As a result of this, many clinicians feel uneasy about managing burn patients even if the burn is minor. If a burn center is in a reasonable proximity, one can transfer the patient, but prior to transfer, or if no burn center is available, these clinicians may have to do the initial treatment. It is extremely important that these physicians understand the basic principles of burn care. In times of burn disasters and mass casualty incidents, non-burn specialists are needed to care for burn patients because burn centers can be quickly overwhelmed. It is reasonable to expect non-burn specialists to take care of them in their hospitals and ICUs. They should be able to manage burn patients, at least in the early part of the initial management, which includes stabilization, resuscitation and caring for burn wounds.

The text includes all current burn management information available today for the care of burn patients. It is organized in a stepwise manner with clear information listed in sequential chapter formats. Chapter one offers the basic epidemiology of burn care while chapters two and three discuss the initial assessment and management. Chapter four teaches physicians to understand when a patient should be referred to a burn center while the next three chapters discuss inhalation injury, airway management and escharotomy, respectively. Chapter eight focuses on burn wound management while chapter nine details susceptibility to infection and proper use of antibiotics. The majority of chapters that follow center on a specific type of burn or burn patient. These include pediatric burns, elderly burns, electrical burns, chemical burns, facial burns, hand burns, burn disasters and outpatient burns. The last few chapters discuss aftercare including scar management and burn rehabilitation.

Written by experts in the field, Essential Burn Care for Non-Burn Specialists is a valuable guide for non-burn specialists such as emergency physicians, primary care physicians, pediatricians, general and plastic surgeons, medical students and residents as well as any physician involved in burn treatment.

Author: Jong O. Lee
Publisher: Springer
Published: 07/20/2023
Pages: 489
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 1.55lbs
Size: 7.95h x 5.04w x 1.10d
ISBN13: 9783031288975
ISBN10: 3031288971
BISAC Categories:
- Medical | Family & General Practice
- Medical | Critical Care

About the Author

Dr. Jong Lee is a Professor of Surgery at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas. He is currently the Annie Laurie Howard Chair in Burn Surgery, Associate Director of Burn Services, Co-Medical Director of Surgical Intensive Care Unit, Program Director of the Surgical Critical Care Fellowship, and Program Director of the Burn Fellowship at the University of Texas Medical Branch. He is also the Chief of Staff - Burn Surgery at Shriners Hospitals for Children - Texas. He obtained his medical degree from Temple University School of Medicine in 1992 and completed his surgical training at Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center/Temple University School of Medicine in Johnstown, Pennsylvania in 2001. He then completed Burn Fellowship and Surgical Critical Care Fellowship at University of Texas Medical Branch/Shriners Hospitals for Children - Texas.

He has practiced burn surgery, taking care of both adults and children since 2002 at the University of Texas Medical Branch and Shriners Hospitals for Children - Texas. He has 44 peer reviewed journal articles and 27 book chapters. He has spoken locally, nationally, and internationally on burn care. He is a member of several professional organizations including American Burn Association and International Society for Burn Injuries.

He also received the Outstanding Teacher Award in the Department of Surgery six times and was selected as the Osler Faculty Scholar of McGovern Academy of Medicine at University of Texas Medical Branch for being outstanding clinician educator. He has trained 31 Surgical Critical Care Fellows and Burn Fellows in addition to being recognized as one of Texas Super Doctors by his peers since the December 2019 issue of Texas Monthly magazine.