Home / Health / Advanced Burn Care Saves Lives in India
Advanced Burn Care Saves Lives in India
4 Aug
Summary
- Zydus Hospitals achieved over 90% survival for severe burns.
- Advanced meshed skin grafting covers extensive body wounds.
- Multidisciplinary teams manage complex industrial burn cases.
India contends with millions of burn injuries annually, posing a major public health challenge. At Zydus Hospitals in Ahmedabad, the burns and plastic surgery department, under Dr. Girish Amlani, has established a strong record in severe burn treatment.
The department has achieved a remarkable survival rate of over 90% for more than 300 patients with burns covering over 50% of their total body surface area in the past five years alone.
Burn severity is assessed by the percentage of total body surface area affected, with burns exceeding 20% in adults and 10% in children considered severe and requiring specialized care.
For burns surpassing 30% of the body, patients are admitted to a specialized Burn ICU, where critical care specialists monitor organ functions and manage risks like sepsis and fluid loss. The initial three days are critical for airway management, fluid balance, and pain control.
Innovative treatments include the use of meshed skin grafts, created by perforating harvested skin, to cover extensive wounds. This technique, along with advanced dressings like Acticoat, helps maximize the use of donor skin and promotes healing.
The hospital has adapted its expertise for various burn types, including those from industrial accidents and mass casualty events like the 2025 Air India crash. Electrical and chemical burns, common in Gujarat's industrial landscape, require a collaborative approach from multiple specialists.
Pediatric burn care also presents unique challenges, with a lower threshold for severe injury in children. The multidisciplinary team includes intensivists, pain management specialists, physiotherapists, and psychologists, emphasizing comprehensive burn rehabilitation for patient recovery.
