Have you suffered a burn? If so, you will journey through a variety of treatments to return you to optimal health and function. At RMS Consultations in Southfield, MI, Dr. Antoine Geffrard and his rehabilitation team will assist you with your recovery with kindness and wisdom. Yes, you can convalesce and recuperate well.
Types of burns
Burns are intense thermal injuries involving the various layers of the skin. Burns originate with exposure to open flame, hot objects, chemicals, the sun, electricity and more. Smoke inhalation during a structure fire also is categorized as a burn.
MedlinePlus outlines three kinds of burns, including:
- First degree, involving the epidermis, or outer layer of the skin (usually accompanied by redness, tenderness and blistering)
- Second degree, which invades the inner layer, or dermis (this is the most painful burn kind of burn)
- Third-degree, involving the dermis and underlying tissue (the most difficult to recover from)
Sadly, the more extensive a thermal injury is (deeper and encompassing a wider area of the skin), the more dangerous it is and the longer and more complex recovery will be. Second and third-degree burns may take a year of medical treatment and rehab to normalize physical appearance and overall function.
Recovering from a burn
At RMS Consultations in Southfield, MI, Dr. Geffrard and his staff will be fully involved in your burn aftercare. Whether you need just bandaging and other treatments to minimize pain and scarring, IV fluids to avoid hypovolemia and site infection or surgery to debride damaged tissue and graft on new skin, we will be with you to interface with all your inpatient and outpatient providers.
With the most serious of burns, you will require physical therapy to maintain physical strength, mobility and range of motion. As such, your care acute and long-term care plan will be tuned to your unique needs.
Preventing burns
As part of your recovery and rehabilitation, Dr. Geffrard encourages you to prevent thermal injuries by:
- Applying sunscreen (SPF 30 or higher) as directed
- Wearing long pants, long sleeves and a broad-brimmed hat when outdoors
- Keeping your water tank at 120 degrees or lower
- Replacing worn electrical outlets and cords
- Testing your smoke detectors monthly and replacing them every 10 years or sooner
Let us help you
Burns can be life-changing. At RMS Consultations in Southfield, MI, Dr. Antoine Geffrard understands that. Our internal medicine and rehabilitation expertise is just what you need for a successful recovery. Phone us for more information: (248) 663-5353.
