Guidelines for Burn Care under Austere Conditions: Wound Care

Introduction The burn wound is central to all aspects of burn care. The size, depth, and condition of the burn wound directly impacts fluid resuscitation, hypermetabolic response, immune system dysfunction, and predicted survival. Optimal care of the burn wound requires specialized facilities and experienced burn nurses and surgeons, all of which are in limited supply under normal circumstances. These resources may become overwhelmed or unavailable as a result of a largescale disaster in a developed country or the need to provide care in an austere or far-forward environment. In this monograph, we discuss adaption and modification of normal burn wound practices to accommodate austere or disaster environments.