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CRITERIA
FOR TRANSFER TO BURN CENTER
The American
Burn Association and American College of Surgeons has
identified the following types of burn
injuries
that usually require referral to a burn center:
- Partial-thickness
and full-thickness burns greater than 10% of the
total body surface area (BSA) in patients under 10
years or over 50 years of age.
- Partial-thickness
and full-thickness burns greater than 20% BSA in
other age groups.
- Partial-thickness
and full-thickness burns involving the face, eyes,
ears, hands, feet, genitalia, or perineum
or those that involve skin overlying
major joints.
- Full-thickness
burns greater than 5% BSA in any age group.
- Electrical burns, including
lightning injury (significant
volumes of tissue beneath the surface may be
injured and result in acute renal failure and
other complications).
- Significant
chemical burns.
- Inhalation
injury.
- Burn
injury in patients with pre-existing illness that
could complicate management, prolong recovery, or
affect mortality.
- Any
burn patient in whom concomitant trauma poses an
increased risk or morbidity or mortality may be
treated initially in a trauma center until stable
before transfer to a burn center.
- Children
with burns seen in hospitals without qualified
personnel or equipment for their care should be
transferred to a burn center with
these capabilities.
- Burn
injury in patients who will require special social
and emotional or long-term rehabilitative support,
including cases involving suspected child abuse and
neglect.
TRANSFER
PROCEDURE
-
Transfer of any patient must be coordinated with the
burn-center physician.
-
All pertinent information regarding tests, temperature,
pulse, fluids administered, and urinary output should be
recorded on the burn/trauma flow sheet and sent with the
patient. Any other information deemed important by the
referring or receiving physician also is sent with the
patient.
  
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