When a person in Houma, Louisiana suffers a serious burn, their treatment can take months. Not only is the treatment for burn injuries a lengthy one, but it can also be incredibly painful. When treating a serious burn, the focus is on keeping the victim as pain-free as possible, get rid of tissue that has died, keeping the burn from becoming infected and creating scars, helping the burn victim regain their ability to function and attending to the victim’s emotions following the burn.
There are numerous ways a serious burn will be treated. One treatment is using water-based treatments to cleanse the burned tissue. A burn victim may also receive intravenous fluids to keep them from becoming dehydrated and to keep their organs healthy. As a burn heals, the victim will experience a tremendous amount of pain, especially when their dressings are changed. Therefore, the burn victim may need strong pain-killers and medications to reduce anxiety.
In very serious cases of burn injuries, other types of procedures may be necessary. People who have received burns to their neck or face may need breathing assistance. One’s body will be working hard to heal from the burn injury, necessitating a feeding tube to make sure the burn victim is receiving enough nutrients.
A procedure known as decompression is used when a burn scab completely wraps around a person’s arm or leg, reducing blood flow to that limb. Decompression is also used when a person’s burn scab wraps around the person’s chest, making inhaling and exhaling difficult. A burn victim may need skin grafts, which is an operation wherein healthy skin is used as a replacement for the burned skin. Plastic surgery may also be necessary.
As this shows, treating a severe burn is neither quick nor easy. It can take a long time, involve many treatments and the burn victim might undergo a great amount of pain in the process. This pain is only amplified if a person incurs significant medical expenses in the process. Fortunately, burn victims may have options for dealing with these expenses.