Every year thousands of children are involved in burn related accidents. These injuries can be devastating to the entire family. Every child treated at Shriners receives the best care available, at absolutely no cost to the family.

Shriners Hospitals for Children-Cincinnati has a variety of educational brochures for families who have experienced a burn injury:

Acute Unit Patient and Family Education Booklet (6.5 MB)

Rehab Unit Patient and Family Education Booklet (4.5 MB)

A Guide to Children's Burn Injury (pdf 580kb)

Your Child's Burn Injury: The First Year (pdf 408kb)

Your First Visit to Clinic (pdf 440kb)

How to Take Care of Your Burn at Home (pdf 880kb)

What is a Tissue Expander? (pdf 396kb)

Learn more about our family-centered care services and the different departments that make up the burn team at Shriners.

Outpatient Department (OPD)

OPD provides care for patients discharged from the hospital, new referrals for reconstructive surgery, and direct referrals of small and minor pediatric burns. The burn team, composed of physicians, nurses, therapists, and social workers/care coordinators, work together to evaluate the child's progress and to develop a plan of care. Fourteen exam rooms and services in the areas of garment fabrication, brace manufacturing and fitting, and radiology allow us to provide services in a timely manner. Sponsoring Shriners often provide transportation back and forth to the hospital for clinic appointments. In addition to the services provided here, the staff travels and holds outreach clinics in Charlotte, N.C.; Tampa, Fla.; and Sioux Falls, S.D. The department also offers telemedicine visits when appropriate.

Occupational & Physical Therapy (OT/PT)

The goal of the OT/PT department is to prevent the devastating deformities that can result from a burn injury. Therapists work with patients and families to achieve the best functional and cosmetic results. They develop individualized programs to help patients return to their pre-burn level of activity. Therapy involves work in the areas of mobility, scar management, self-care and activities of daily living. Various treatments and equipment, such as a swing, stationary bike, trampoline and rowing machine are used in a gym-like environment to encourage movement.

Appliances

Our staff works closely with nurses and therapists to design special appliances suited to each child's needs. The appliances help manage scars from a burn injury. Clear plastic face masks and spandex pressure garments, such as gloves or vests, are designed, sewn and custom-fitted for patients. These special items keep even pressure over the scarred or grafted areas to help keep the scars flat. The face masks and pressure garments are worn 23 hours/day for at least 12-24 months after the injury.

Patient Education/Schoolroom

Our school program is operated in conjunction with Cincinnati Public Schools. The hospital employs two teachers who are assisted by volunteers with backgrounds in education. The schoolroom is open year round to all school age children who are medically able to attend classes. Patients are also seen at the bedside if they are not able to leave their room. School assignments are brought from the child's home school or similar work is provided so that the child receives school credit.

In addition to the schoolroom, the hospital provides a unique program called School Re-entry that helps a child make the adjustment back to school after a significant burn injury. The hospital makes contact with the patient's school via phone, letters, videos or a visit by hospital staff before the child returns to class. The visit gives teachers and students the opportunity to ask questions and find ways to welcome their classmate back to school.

Child Life

Being in the hospital can be a stressful event for a child and their family. Child life is a program that supports the child's emotional development and social needs while in the hospital. In the activity rooms, children have daily sessions to learn more about burn care, play, develop new skills, talk about feelings and participate in art, music, crafts and games. Certified child life specialists plan weekly cooking groups, field trips, recreation and special events to help reduce the stress of a hospital stay. The activity rooms are relaxing, safe environments to explore and socialize with other children and their families. Children who are not well enough to come to the activity rooms are seen in their rooms by a child life specialist.

Family Services/Care Coordination

During a child's stay, care coordinators in family services are available to assist the families in many ways. A social worker/care coordinator is assigned to each new family to offer counseling, support, housing and financial assistance while their child is at Shriners. When a family needs help with counseling or physical therapy at home, the care coordinators are there to help. This office also helps families coordinate communications with sponsoring Shriners. For additional information on resources for patients and families with a burn injury, visit http://www.phoenix-society.org/ or http://www.disabilityresources.org/.

Nursing Services

Each child admitted is assigned a primary nurse who coordinates their care program with the burn team. The pediatric burn rehabilitation care unit cares for children who have been in our system for several years and need releases or grafts for scar contractures. Children needing extensive physical therapy or repair of congenital deformities are also treated on this unit. The acute care unit is where children with new or fresh burns receive care. Depending on the extent of the injury, a child could be hospitalized for a week to several months. Each unit offers families the option of rooming-in with their child.

Transport Team

Comprehensive burn care begins in the emergency department. But when a burned child needs specialized help, our transport team delivers that care within hours. Since 1988, our team has flown more pediatric burn patients than any other medical transport team in the country. Every flight is staffed with a registered nurse and a respiratory therapist who have undergone extensive training in acute care. When the patient condition warrants, the team can be in the air within 2 1/2 hours. The team uses planes with specially designed stretchers, heart monitors and ventilators, transforming the aircraft into the equivalent of an ICU. While en route to the referring hospital, team members are available for telephone consultation with the referring physicians and with the medical staff at Shriners.

Camp Ability

Our staff believes that burn-injured children should receive the same opportunities available to all children. Camp Ability is one way to offer children the experience to have fun, make new friends, gain self-confidence and enjoy camp like other kids. Hospital employees join campers and serve as camp counselors. This week-long program is supported by local Shriners.

Transitions Services

Transition services assists young adolescents with burn injuries the much needed support as they transition from a child with a burn injury to a young adult who survived a burn injury. Transitions helps youngsters finish school, obtain vocational training and additional support that can lead to a more fulfilled life. The transitions staff maintains contact with patients and shares resources on scholarships, college applications and vocational opportunities. For additional information on resources for patients and families with a burn injury, visit http://www.phoenix-society.org// or http://www.disabilityresources.org/