Rapid response: care of burn victims

1. The occupational health nurse must understand the prehospital principles for treatment of burn victims. This understanding promotes appropriate burn management which can impact mortality and morbidity. 2. The most important concept in emergency management of burn victims is scene safety, the nurse's safety, and ultimately, the victim's safety. 3. All burn victims need to be managed as trauma victims with a primary and secondary survey to rapidly determine life threatening problems and whether other injuries are present. 4. Familiarity with the structures and functions of the skin is imperative to understand the pathophysiology and consequences of burn injuries.