Outpatient management of burns

Most of the 2.5 million Americans who seek medical attention for burns each year can be successfully managed as outpatients. Mainstays of treatment are proper wound cleaning, unroofing and debriding of most blisters, and topical chemoprophylaxis for all second- and third-degree burns. Early surgical evaluation for possible excision and grafting is necessary for third-degree burns, deep second-degree burns and infected burns. Systemic antibiotic therapy alone is insufficient for infected burns. Hospitalization is mandated for most fire-related inhalation injuries.