Burn Injury Treatments after Tampa, Florida Area Automobile Accidents

In the Tampa, Florida area, car accident victims face a risk of burn injuries from a variety of sources including fuel fires, air bag chemicals, and scalding engine fluids. To properly treat these burn injuries, doctors must work to prevent an array of serious complications such as:

• Infection
• Bleeding
• Dehydration
• Swelling
• Breathing problems
• Pain
• Limited mobility
• Permanent disability
• Scarring
• Psychological trauma

Addressing the many facets of burn injuries requires multiple treatments over a long period of time. As a matter of fact, burn injury treatments are so extensive and specialized that many cities have opened burn centers to treat these unique wounds whether they result from an auto accident or home fire. In Tampa, for example, there is a burn center at Tampa General Hospital. It is one of just four burn centers located in the state of Florida.

From the emergency room to rehabilitation, common burn injury treatments may include any or all of the following:

• Measuring the burn size—Assessing the percentage of body area burned is a critical first step in treating burn injuries. Measuring the burn size helps doctors determine the amount of emergency care needed for burn injury victims, as well as the possibility for skin grafting later.
• Intravenous fluids—Since one of the main purposes of skin is to hold fluids inside the body, burn injuries can cause patients to lose fluids rapidly and become critically dehydrated. Intravenous fluids are often necessary.
• Breathing assistance—Many burn injury victims suffer from smoke inhalation, which damages their lungs and hinders their ability to breathe. Face and neck burns may also affect breathing. Oxygen masks, breathing tubes, and ventilators may be used to alleviate breathing problems.
• Pain relief—Burn injuries often expose nerve endings and are very painful. Burn injury treatments are also painful. Prescription medication is often needed to ease the pain.
• Nutrition—Burn injury patients must double their caloric intake to help them heal from their wounds. Unfortunately, burn injuries may prevent a patient from eating, or the injuries may hinder appetite. Feeding tubes are often set up for the patient within 24 hours after the burn injury.
• Bandages and topical antibiotics—Burn injuries reduce a patient's ability to fight infection, and burned skin also tends to promote bacterial growth. Bandages and antibiotics help fight infection while also assisting in pain reduction and fluid retention.
• Debridement—Sometimes burned skin needs to be removed to promote the healing process. The removal of dead or damaged skin is called debridement. Methods of debridement include surgery, medications, and baths.
• Skin grafts—Skin grafting involves taking healthy skin from one area of the patient's body (the donor site) and transplanting it to an area of severely burned skin.

Tampa automobile accidents attorney Dale Appell, P.A. fights for the rights of all burn injury victims to receive any treatment they need to achieve the best recovery possible. If you have been the victim of a car accident or other incident causing severe injury, please call our law firm for a free assessment of your case.