Assessment and Triage

The ABA referral criteria identify burns warranting specialized care: >10% TBSA, full-thickness, critical area involvement, electrical/chemical injuries, and inhalation injury. Adherence varies widely

Clinical assessment alone misclassifies roughly one in four indeterminate-depth burns. Laser Doppler imaging is the most validated adjunct for predicting healing potential within the 21-day threshold.

Burn severity integrates burn depth, TBSA, anatomic location, patient age, and comorbidities to guide disposition, treatment intensity, and prognostication. The ABA classifies burns as minor, moderate

Accurate estimation of total body surface area (TBSA) burned is foundational to burn care, driving fluid resuscitation calculations, transfer decisions, and prognostication. Referring providers consis

Accurate TBSA estimation drives resuscitation volumes, transfer decisions, and resource allocation. Referring providers consistently overestimate burn size, compounding errors into overresuscitation,

Burn mass casualty incidents require specialized triage beyond standard mass casualty protocols. Burn-specific triage systems incorporate TBSA, age, inhalation injury, and predicted resource utilizati

Most burns are minor and suitable for outpatient management. Approximately 80% to 90% of burn injuries can be treated without hospital admission. Modern antimicrobial dressings, outreach nursing, and

Telemedicine extends burn center expertise to underserved and remote populations, improving triage accuracy, reducing unnecessary transfers, and supporting outpatient wound management. Applications ra