Treatment of thermal burns: A ten-year progress report

The last decade has seen extensive work on the problem of burns. Considerable progress has been made in the understanding of the pathologic physiology that is seen after burning, with the result that most patients survive the immediate postburn period. In addition we have seen the return of the use of “open” treatment and the introduction of enzymatic débridement and the use of preserved cadaver skin. The over-all mortality, however, has not been greatly changed and we still have many unsolved problems, especially in the later stages of treatment and eventual rehabilitation of burn patients. Many lines of investigation appear promising at the present time and it is well that these are being studied for the burn problem promises to be of even greater importance in the future, especially in the event of an atomic war.