Hand burn injuries in children

A consistently high proportion of thermal injuries in children are to the hand, and scalds and contact burns are the main causes. While most thermal Injuries to the hand in children can be treated conservatively, deep burns can result in scary contractures and syndactylies that cause functional impairments to the hand. Therefore, thermal injuries to the hand in children should be treated in a specialised centre, thus ensuring a differentiated approach with respect to the localisation and extent of the thermal injury. Besides acute therapy, regular follow-up consultations - including splint and compression treatments -, physiotherapy, ergotherapy and, if necessary, corrective surgical measures are of immense importance. Only adherence to this treatment regime can guarantee optimal functional and aesthetic results and minimise daily restrictions for the young patients. The purpose of this article is to illustrate/outline the essential aspects of this treatment of thermal injuries to the infantile hand.