Evolution of Burn Care: Past, Present, and Future

Martin R Buta; Matthias B Donelan

doi:10.1016/j.cps.2023.10.002

Evolution of Burn Care: Past, Present, and Future

Clin Plast Surg. 2024 Apr;51(2):191-204. doi: 10.1016/j.cps.2023.10.002. Epub 2023 Dec 14.

Authors

Martin R Buta¹, Matthias B Donelan²

Affiliations

¹ Plastic, Reconstructive, and Laser Surgery, Shriners Hospitals for Children, Boston, MA, USA; Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
² Plastic, Reconstructive, and Laser Surgery, Shriners Hospitals for Children, Boston, MA, USA; Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. Electronic address: mdonelan@mgh.harvard.edu.

PMID: 38429043
DOI: 10.1016/j.cps.2023.10.002

Abstract

Burn care evolved slowly from primitive treatments depicted in cave drawings 3500 years ago to a vibrant medical specialty which has made remarkable progress over the past 200 years. This evolution involved all areas of burn care including superficial dressings, wound assessment, fluid resuscitation, infection control, pathophysiology, nutritional support, burn surgery, and inhalation injury. Major advances that contributed to current standards of care and improved outcomes are highlighted in this article. New innovations are making possible a future where severe burn injuries will require less morbid interventions for acute care and outcomes will restore patients more closely to their pre-injury condition.

Keywords: Burn care; Burn reconstruction; Burn wound; Burns; History; Skin substitutes; Thermal injury.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Bandages
Burns* / therapy
Fluid Therapy
Humans
Infection Control