II. Contraindications
- Escharotomy required
- Contaminated Burn Injury
III. Technique
- See Burn Management
- Pain management of Burn Injury
-
Informed Consent with patient
- Devitalized tissue removal should not be painful
- Clean the wound
- Use sterile saline or sterile water to clean the wound and eliminate debris
- Gentle cleaning with gauze may be done but avoid scrubbing wound
- Blister Debridement indications (unroofed with sterile scissors, ointment applied and bandaged)
- Instead of Debridement, consider aspirating large, thick-walled Blisters on palms and soles
- Debride roofs of large Blisters (>6 mm) with thin walls
- Allows dressings to be applied to wound directly
- Debride roofs of Blisters overlying joints
- Allows for normal joint movement
- Apply dressing
- Apply Topical Ointment
- See Burn Management for recommendations
- Apply nonadherent dressing (e.g. petrolatum gauze)
- Cover loosely with gauze dressing
- Avoid tight dressing that may promote injury or increase discomfort
- Apply Topical Ointment
IV. References
- Warrington (2018) Crit Dec Emerg Med 32(11): 10-1