Burns management

General principles

• All burns should involve the ED senior early to determine the need for resuscitation and/or transfer

• Cooling, if not done appropriately at home, involves 20 minutes under running water

• Early analgesia is a priority

• Burn referral centres in NSW are Concord for adults (switch:  02 9767 5000) and Childrens's Hospital at Westmead for children (switch: . 02 9845 0000)

• Remember to calculate resuscitation fluids from time of burn, not time of presentation

• Minor burns can be followed up in the Ambulatory Care Unit or GP surgery

Burns Management for Adults

Click here for the Statewide Burns Transfer Guidelines which has a comprehensive management plan.

Click here for the Assessment and Management Form for patients to be transferred to a Burns Centre. 

Also check out this ECI video on burns assessment

Minor Burns

Click here for the Statewide Management of Minor Burns Guideline - contains information on appropriate dressings.

Click here for the Guidelines for Minor Blister Management - contains information on deroofing blisters. 

See the ECI video on deroofing blisters  here.

Click here for the Dressing Algorithm from the Victorian Burns Service

Burns Management for Children

Click here for the RCH Burns Guideline which is endorsed by NSW Health

Digital photo consult

For advice from the Burns Registrar, send photos, a brief clinical history, patient details and your contact details to:

Children's Hospital at Westmead: kidsburns@chw.edu.au 

Concord Repatriation General Hospital: SLHD-ConcordBurnsUnit@health.nsw.gov.au 

For patient confidentiality, please send the email from your work address.