Burn Wound

Nearly 700,000 burn-related health insurance claims are submitted yearly in the United States. At VIP Wound, with offices in Memphis, Tennessee, and Holly Springs, Mississippi, their wound care specialists treat burn wounds to minimize scarring and the risk of infection. Schedule a wound evaluation at VIP Wound by calling the nearest office today.

What are burn wounds?

Burn wounds are those often suffered due to extreme temperatures or chemicals. About 10 million people are burned each year throughout the world. Burn wounds take longer to heal, become infected, or cause significant scarring when not appropriately treated. See the VIP Wound specialists to maximize healing if you suffer a burn wound.

What types of burns are there?

The five main types of burns are:

• Radiation burns
• Thermal burns due to very hot or cold temperatures
• Electrical burns
• Friction burns
• Chemical burns

The degree of a burn indicates its severity. Burns reaching deeper skin layers are more severe.

Superficial burns are the least severe (first-degree), only damaging the top skin layer. Partial thickness (second-degree) burns reach deeper, damaging the outer two skin layers and often blistering. Full-thickness (third-degree) wounds burn through all skin layers and reach fatty tissues underneath. These burns destroy nerve endings.

What symptoms do burn wounds cause?

Burn wounds can be excruciating, especially if they develop on your face, hands, or other sensitive areas. Your skin’s appearance or texture can change. You might notice blistering, peeling, or leathery or stiff skin because of a burn. Burned skin also changes color. It might appear red, gray, ashen, or blackened.

Complications that can result from burns include infections, scarring, and swelling. Some complications are mild, while others are severe and even life-threatening. Signs of an infection include fever, chills, pus, redness, warmth, and pain.

How are burn wounds diagnosed?

The VIP Wound experts diagnose burn wounds by examining the wound. They also discuss your medical history, review your symptoms, and might do a wound biopsy, blood work, urinalysis, and imaging (X-rays, a CT scan, an MRI, an ultrasound, or another imaging procedure) to determine the best treatment for your burn.

How are burn wounds treated?

Your personalized burn wound treatment will consist of one or more of the following:

• Wound cleaning
• Debridement (removal of infected and dead tissue)
• Specialized medical bandages or dressings
• Oral, injected, or topical medicines
• Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT)
• Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT)
• In-office dressing changes
• Wound care education
• Compression therapy
• Specialized footwear
• Off-loading
• Skin grafts
• Surgery
• Combined wound care treatments

The VIP Wound care experts follow up to ensure healing after a burn. Avoid smoking, eat nutritious foods, drink a lot of water, and get plenty of sleep to optimize healing.

Schedule a burn wound evaluation at VIP Wound by calling the nearest office today.