Anesthetic Management of Pediatric Burned Patients

Abstract

Skin is the largest organ in the body. The skin provides several important functions. Four essential functions that apply to burn care are protection against infection, prevention of fluid loss, temperature maintenance, and pain perception. Survival following severe burn injury has improved substantially over the last 40 years in children. These results are based on refinements in fluid resuscitation, inhalational burn management, improved nutrition and infection control, early excision and grafting of deep burns, early and ongoing rehabilitation. Much of the destructive nature of a burn can be prevented or reversed with appropriate emergency management. The severity of the burn is determined by the age of the patients, the depth and size of the burn, the anatomic site, concomitant disease or injury and the physiologic status of the patient. The safe management of complex burns injuries requires an understanding of the obligatory pathophysiological changes and current treatment options. Mediators releases from the burn wound contribute