摘要
Burn injuries are one of the most common and devastating affl ictions on the human body.In this article we look back at how the treatment of burns has evolved over the centuries from a primarily topical therapy consisting of weird and wonderful topical concoctions in ancient times to one that spans multiple scientifi c fi elds of topical therapy,antibiotics,fl uid resuscitation,skin excision and grafting,respiratory and metabolic care and nutrition.Most major advances in burn care occurred in the last 50 years,spurred on by wars and great fi res.The use of systemic antibiotics and topical silver therapy greatly reduced sepsis related mortality.This along with the advent of antiseptic surgical techniques,burn depth classifi cation and skin grafting allowed the excision and coverage of full-thickness burns which resulted in greatly improved survival rates.Advancements in the methods of assessing the surface area of burns paved way for more accurate fl uid resuscitation,minimising the eff ects of shock and avoiding fl uid over-loading.The introduction of metabolic care,nutritional support and care of inhalational injuries further improved the outcome of burn patients.We also briefl y discuss some future directions in burn care such as the use of cell and pharmalogical therapies.
