Facial Burns

Excerpt

According to the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, nearly half a million burn injuries were treated in U.S. emergency departments in 2017. Approximately 7% of these were admitted to the hospital for further management, with a 96.7% survival rate. Despite the relatively low mortality, burn injuries remain one of the leading causes of accidental death or injury in the U.S. Beyond mortality, burn injuries are associated with significant morbidity, especially facial burns.

Patients with facial burns present the clinician with the challenge of treating both functional and aesthetic needs. At its most basic, the face is needed for breathing and oral intake. It is also remarkably complex in its anatomy, providing us with sight, hearing, and smell. Beyond basic functionality, the human aspect of the face is significant; it is central to communication and how we interact with one another. Facial burns cause scarring and deformity that extend far deeper than superficial tissue damage. By impacting our identity and ability to function normally in society, we significantly diminish our quality of life. Facial burns have many long-term physical, psychological and social sequelae. They require a healthcare team approach to management, which could last months to years.

Burn mortality in developed countries has been continually declining over the past few decades. This is generally attributed to many factors, including improvements in treatment, safer work environments, and better-engineered consumer products. Optimal burn management and reconstruction can improve functional and aesthetic outcomes, improving quality of life. We continue to see technological advances that are being applied to burn management, and they could potentially lead to further improvements in morbidity and mortality. Burn injuries, especially facial injuries, require a multidisciplinary healthcare team for comprehensive management.

Multiple clinicians are usually involved over the course of treatment, and what one does in the short term affects the options others have in the long term. It is important that anyone treating facial burns understands the continuum of care in order to make the best decisions for treating the immediate problem.