The Management of Burn Injuries by Dermatologist: A Single Center Pilot Study

Burns are a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Most burn patients are treated in an outpatient setting. However, the type of burn injuries, frequency of burn injuries treated by dermatologists, and therapeutic approach is unknown.

To assess burn injury incidence in a single center academic dermatology practice, and describe demographic characteristics of burn patients seen by dermatologists.

A retrospective chart review analysis of 51 patients seen by 7 dermatologists from April 2010 to July 2014.

Of the 51 patients seen, burns from hot metal were the main mechanism of injury followed by contact with hot liquids. Silver sulfadiazine was the most commonly prescribed treatment. At the time of the visit 84.3% (n=43) had other dermatological conditions.

Our study demonstrates that burns are not frequently seen by dermatologists. We hypothesize that longer wait times in specialty practices, the lack of burn-specific training and the complexities of burn care prevent dermatologists from being first line providers in this arena. A larger epidemiological study is needed to further elucidate these issues.