Jonathan L. Ventigan Block 10A Burn Symposium Reaction Paper I learned a lot at the burn symposium today.

. The symposium marked the culmination of the week long celebrations by the Rehab department of the Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation week. It was attended by people from and outside PGH, not just doctors but all kinds of paramedical people. This shows the truly multidisciplinary and team approach required of rehab medicine. The symposium began with a lecture on the basics of burn care by a surgeon. The need for early debridement and closure of burn wounds was emphasized to us. Skin grafting can be performed days after the burn. It is unfortunate that many hospitals in the country still practice daily wound dressing, waiting until the eschar sloughs off. By that time, many complications have already occurred like deconditioning, contractures, fusions, etc. Also emphasized in the next lecture is the need for rehabilitation to start from the beginning of burn care. From the start, we can do proper positioning, stabilization and elevation to combat edema and debilitating contractures. We should even start ADL training and prosthetic training early on. Emphasized was the need to educate patients about positioning so they wont stay in their most comfortable position and develop contractures. Deconditioning can occur early so early therapeutic exercises are also needed. We also need to catch hypertrophic scars while theyre still immature, especially those that cross a joint. Presented were a variety of topical medications and dressings for burn care, from the standard silver sulfadiazine to herbal medications, hydrogel dressings to pressure bandages. Of course, often forgotten but very important to burn care is proper hygiene and sterile techniques, which were emphasized and discussed in the lectures. This also extends to the equipment that will be used for rehabilitation. I also learned that our paramedical colleagues can do a lot more for our patients than I supposed. Even without medication, they can do pain management through hypnosis for example, wound debridement using whirlpool baths, to using incentive spirometers and proper bed positioning to avoid secretion build-up for respiratory problems. Finally, the symposium was topped off with a lecture on the human side of burn care. The final lecture was about the psychology of coping. It is important for those who interact with the patient to motivate and reinforce them with a positive image of themselves. Often, it is they themselves who can help themselves the most. We also learn about the very important role of friendships, family and a positive compassionate and non-judgmental attitude towards our patients. It really goes a long way.