Residency Training in General Surgery

BURNS: Goals and Objectives

GOALS

The resident will be exposed to all aspects of burn care, including initial care in the Emergency Department, ongoing treatment in the Burn Unit, definitive care in the Operating Room and follow-up care in the outpatient setting.

OBJECTIVES

I. Emergency Department Experience

While caring for burn patients in the Emergency Department the resident will:

1. Learn the elements of the history/physical exam that require emphasis on assessing the burn patient.
2. Learn to assess the severity (depth) and extent (TBSA) of a burn, as well as burn patterns including those of potential abuse.
3. Be able to determine which burn patients require aggressive resuscitation, and how to provide that resuscitation, and all initial care of the burn patient.
4. Appreciate how important it is to provide accurate information to the patient, and the patient's family in a clear, concise, and professional manner.

II. Burn Unit Experience

Participating in patient care in the burn unit will allow the resident to:

1. Provide on-going resuscitation and burn critical care to patients that require it.
2. Become familiar with the topical agents and dressings used in burn care, and under which circumstances each is used.
3. Provide pre-operative and post-operative care to burn patients requiring surgery.
4. See the importance of rehabilitation services in burn care.
5. Be able to assess and plan for discharge needs of the burn patient.

III. Operating Room Experience

As a member of the operative team the resident will:

1. Learn the equipment, setup, and environment needed in the operating room used for surgery on burn patients.
2. Learn what factors go in to deciding how much burn to surgically treat at a time.
3. Be exposed to the various techniques of definitive surgical care of the burn patient, and how to decide on which technique to use.

IV. Outpatient Experience

Seeing patients in the Burn Clinic will allow the resident to:

1. Evaluate the success of previous burn treatment and possibly the need for additional care.
2. Evaluate the progress of patients involved in rehabilitation programs.