The burn epidemic.
Burn injuries have reached epidemic proportions in recent years. They are to modern healthcare what the polio epidemic was at its peak. Approximately 2.4 million burn injuries are reported each year in America. Over 650,000 of the injuries are treated by medical professionals. About 75,000 patients are hospitalized. Between 8,000 and 12,000 burn patients die, and approximately 1 million will sustain substantial or permanent disabilities resulting from their burns, according to the Journal of Burn Care & Rehabilitation. You can sustain a burn from heat, electricity, chemicals or radiation – including sunlight. Sadly, at least half of all burn accidents can be avoided.
If you suffer a burn, you need special care from STAT Surgical in San Antonio, TX. Dr. Dilworth has completed a clinical burn fellowship, which means he has special training in critical burn treatment.
Wound types & care.
A wound is any break in the outer layer of skin, called the epidermis. Wounds are often caused by cuts or scrapes. Many are chronic. Different types of wounds are treated differently. It depends upon how they happened and how serious they are.
The object of proper wound care is to minimize the possibility of infection and scarring.
Dr. Dilworth and Dr. Horvath are among the very few general surgeons interested in helping people with skin and soft-tissue damage such as wounds. We are excellent with complex wounds and unusual wound closure techniques, including negative pressure wound therapy (VAC), skin grafting and dermal substitutes.