Burns
The Burns Service at the WCH provides inpatient and outpatient treatment for children from birth to 16 years who have been injured by burning. We treat around 150 inpatients and 450 outpatients each year from SA, NT and western parts of NSW and Victoria.
Burn injuries are for a lifetime and require specialised care. The Burns Service consists of a multidisciplinary team that works together to ensure optimal patient and family outcomes.
The Burns Service is also involved in prevention programs to assist in lowering the number of paediatric burns, as well as education programs to improve the treatment of burns.
Burn injuries are a common form of trauma in children and have six main causes. First aid is the critical first step for treating a burn.
How to access this service
Hours
Burns advice and emergency service – 24 hours
Burns Outpatient Clinics – Tuesday, Wednesdays and Fridays
Location
Level 2, Good Friday Building
Wards
Further information
There are six main causes of burns in children.
- Scalds – 60%
This burn is a result of hot liquid, usually hot tea, coffee or bath water. These burns are most common in the infant-pre school age group. At this age children are very fast and unpredictable in their behaviour.
Depth: Superficial – Deep - Flame – 25%
Results from an open flame or explosion. These burns are also associated with flash burns, where the skin is burnt from the heat of the surrounding flames. These burns are most often seen in toddlers playing with matches or teenagers experimenting.
Depth: Partial – Deep - Contact – 10%
Burn from touching a hot surface, for example a hot iron or oven door.
Depth: Superficial – Deep - Electrical – 2%
Exposure to a live current, for example putting a knife into a power point.
Depth: Deep - Chemical – 2%
Contact with a chemical substance. This may be on the skin or swallowed. This includes drinking liquids such as drain cleaner.
Depth: Partial – Deep - Sun – 1%
Exposure to excess of the suns ultraviolet rays.
Depth: Superficial – Partial
- Boiling water from a kettle (100°C)
< 1 second - Cup of tea/coffee (70-95°C)
< 1 second - Hot water from the tap (60°C)
1 second - Hot water from a kettle 5-10 mins after boiling (55°C)
10 seconds - Hot water from a tap with a temp regulator (50°C)
5 minutes
Each year scalds account for approximately 60% of paediatric burns. The type of burns we see vary depending on the age group of the patient.
- 0–2 years of age
The most common types of burns are scalds caused by hot cups of tea or coffee. Many of these require skin grafting. Immersions in hot baths also account for a percentage of severe burns in this age group. - 2–5 years of age
Scalds still account for the majority of burns due to hot cups of tea or coffee, as well as water from electric jugs/kettles and teapots. Flame burn also make up a large percentage of burns in this age group from clothes catching alight from open fires or heaters or from the child playing with cigarette lighters or matches. - Up to the age of 5 years
Contact burns frequently occur in winter when a child either falls or touches a heater. The resulting burns are usually to the hands, face or buttocks. Solid fuel heaters are often involved. - 5 –16 years of age
Scalds make up a smaller proportion of burns, burns are more likely due to accidents while cooking or from spilling hot water while having steam inhalations. Flame burns caused by a combination of matches and flammable liquids are common with boys in this age group, and often result in very extensive burns.
- REMOVE THE HEAT SOURCE
For flame burns "Stop, Drop and Roll" – extinguish flame with a blanket.
Remove clothing to affected areas. - COOL THE WOUND
Use cool running water for 20 minutes to cool the wound. Do not use ice. - REMOVE CONSTRICTIVE JEWLERY TO EFFECTED AREAS
Watches, rings, bracelets and necklaces are a heat source and can cause burning to continue. - COVER IN CLING WRAP
This will keep the wound clean and keep out the air. - SEEK MEDICAL HELP
- Acticoat burns dressing
- Burn care – healed in less than 2 weeks
- Burn care – healed in more than 2 weeks
- Burns admission information – booklet
- Burns discharge information – booklet
- CO2 laser treatment for scars
- Dermagel™ – scar management
- Elastofix patches – scar management
- Facial burn care
- Flamazine burns dressing
- Gelsmart™ – scar management
- Mepiform™ – scar management
- Mepilex Ag burns dressing
- Nutrition for burns
- Positive communication
- Pressure garments – scar management
- Returning to school following a burn injury – A guide for School Staff
- Silipos® Tubing – Scar Management
- Strataderm™ – Scar Management
- Stratamed™ – Scar Management
- Tegaderm absorbent dressing
Contact
Phone
- Burns Advanced Nurse Consultant – (08) 8161 7000 page 4258
- Burns Fellow – (08) 8161 7000 during hours
- On-call Surgical Registrar for Burns – (08) 8161 7000 out of hours
Mailing Address
Burns Service
Women's and Children's Hospital
72 King William Road
North Adelaide
South Australia 5006
Staff
Head, Burns Service
Dr Bernard Carney
Burns Advanced Nurse Consultant
Linda Quinn
(08) 8161 7000 pager 4258
email: linda.quinn@sa.gov.au
Dr Darren Molony
Plastic Surgeon
Dr Michelle Lodge
Plastic Surgeon
Dr Bernard Carney
Plastic Surgeon
Dr Amy Jeeves
Plastic Surgeon
Dr Bhanu Mariyappa
Paediatric Surgeon
Jamila Ansaar
Senior Physiotherapist
Vanessa Timbrell
Occupational Therapist
Liz Davies
Social Worker
Chloe Trapp
Psychology
For Health Professionals
How to refer to the service
To arrange a referral or a review of digital photos, please call (08) 8161 7000 during business hours and ask for the Burns Nurse Consultant, or after hours, ask for the Burns Registrar.
All referrals require the following burns referral document completed.