Utilization of the burn unit for nonburn patients: the "wound intensive care unit"

Burn units and experienced burn nurses are valuable, expensive resources that are underutilized when the burn census is low. Burn facilities can be used to treat other conditions or injuries to provide optimum wound management or to provide overflow intensive care unit beds. We studied via a questionnaire survey the admission profiles of 120 burn units in the United States to determine frequency of utilization for nonburn injuries. One hundred sixteen burn units routinely treat nonburn injuries. Seventy-seven burn units also accept overflow patients from other critical care units. A significant amount of nonburn wound care is being provided by burn units in the United States, with potential benefit to both the patient and the burn unit. The implications of the use of burn facilities as "wound intensive care units" are discussed.