Burns

About the podcast

Ms Sian Falder is a consultant in burns and plastic surgery working at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, Liverpool. She is the clinical lead for the burns service and the medical lead for Interburns, a global burns NGO and charity.

It is easy to forget burns in the context of the polytrauma patient, particularly because trauma training understnadably focusses universally on prioritisation of managing airway, breathing and haemorrhage control. The most we often think about burns is when we consider the risk of airway compromise and the need for early intubation.

While Sian is clear that A, B and C need to be prioritised, her advice on immediate first-aid measures and the impact this has on the morbidity and mortality in something that we can all take on board and implement in our day to day practice. She also offers a clear, unambiguous guidance on assessing burn depth and combining this with total body surface area (TBSA) to guide burns resuscitation.

Don’t forget to download the Mersey Burns app (Android and iOS versions available). Show notes include NICE CKS, RCEM Learning and PTN network guidance on burns management.

Burns – ThePTN podcast

Ms Sian Falder Consultant in burns and plastic surgery, Alder Hey Children's Hospital, Liverpool | Burn grading | Early management | TBSA | Burn resuscitation

Learning areas in this podcast:

  • Demonstrate awareness of the local arrangements and centres for care for burns patients
  • Identify local policies related to management of burns patient includin transfer
  • Discuss the principles of estimation of burns size using an appropriate tool
  • Effect on airway and potential compromise
  • Effect on breathing and ventilation including carbon monoxide poisoning
  • Effect on circulation and fluid loss
  • Effect on temperature control
  • Key principles of pain control in the burns patient both pharmacological and physical (dressings)

Level 2:

  • Can lead in the care of a burns patient
  • Lead in the estimation of burn size and in the calculation of fluid requirement/resuscitation
  • Lead and assist in arrangements for transfer to a burns centre, liaise with local burns centres and can lead in finding resources for chemical burns
  • Use of toxbase in management of specialist burns
  • Harms of smoke inhalation, harmful effects of carbon monoxide and cyanide poisoning

Links:
NICE Clinical Knowledge Summary (CKS): Burns and Scalds here. (accessed 20/2/23)

RCEM (Royal College of Emergency Medicine) Learning: Major trauma – Burns; published 11/02/2021 here. .(accessed 20/2/23)

Clinical Guidelines – South West Burns Clinical Netowrk page here. (accessed 08/01/2025)

PTN Small paediatric burns referral criteria and burns policy both available via PTN Guideline page here. (accessed 20/2/23)

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