Inpatient Rehabilitation Following Burn Injury
Shriners Children's Inpatient Rehabilitation Advances Healing and Mobility Following a Burn Injury
The goal of occupational and physical therapy is to prevent the loss of mobility and deformities that can result from a burn injury. Our specialized team of therapists works with patients and families to achieve the best opportunity for a child to live a "life without limits" following a burn injury.
Individualized programs start at the child's bedside soon after admission for acute care and continue throughout their stay to help patients return to their pre-burn level of activity. Therapy involves work in the areas of mobility, scar management, self-care and simply re-learning everyday activities such as walking and eating to assure a child’s total recovery. Everything from blocks, balls and coloring books to treadmills and stationary bikes are used to encourage a child's movement.
Specific treatments and services may vary by location. Please contact a specific location for more information.
Learn About Inpatient Rehabilitation Following Burn Injury
Inpatient rehabilitation following a burn injury involves working with a child, from the time they are admitted, in the areas of mobility, scar management, self-care and simply re-learning everyday activities such as walking and eating to assure a child’s total recovery.
Inpatient Rehabilitation Services
In addition to traditional physical therapy, our expert team also provides the following services for patients following a burn injury:
Nutritional Services
Children experience dramatic changes in their metabolism after a major burn. Their bodies begin to rapidly burn calories in response to their injuries. To keep up with the demand, a carefully planned diet designed by our expert dietitians is required to ensure a healthy recovery.
Splinting
Sometimes, children require the help of temporary splinting to prevent stiffening of scar tissue after surgery. Our team of therapists helps to splint these areas while they are healing so therapy can continue after the splint is removed without loss to a child's mobility.
Pressure Garment Therapy
Customized pressure garments that look like spandex are made on-site to cover a child's healed wounds and to flatten or improve the appearance of raised or hypertrophic scarring. Pressure is initially applied in the form of temporary garments until the customized garments are made. When garments or other forms of pressure are prescribed, we recommend that they be worn 23 hours a day.
Masking
To prevent raised, or hypertrophic, scarring on the face, custom masks are made on-site for the child to wear and apply pressure to their facial burns. Wearing these clear masks all day, except when eating, can dramatically improve the appearance of their burn scars without surgery.
Masks are made by first making an advanced 3-D scan of the child's face. Then, a special mold allows our specialists to fabricate a plastic, clear mask that perfectly fits the child.
The staff did everything to make Ayden feel comfortable. The nurses involved him in his dressing changes. Child life made fidget spinners to distract him. These details made a big difference!