Compounding Pearls: Wound Care: Burn Healing, Part 1

When healthy intact human skin is compromised, so is the effective barrier it provides against a variety of pathologic and physical insults that adversely affect good health. Among the types of injuries most damaging to skin integrity are burns, which can be challenging to heal. When commercially available therapies fail to result in burn-tissue healing or are incompatible with the needs or preferences of individual patients, a compounded formulation may provide an effective alternative. In this article, the characteristics and causes of various burn types are reviewed, burn healing is discussed, and the treatment of uninfected and infected burns is examined. Compounded formulations that have proven effective in healing specific types of burns are also provided.