Burn & Wound Care Clinic

CHRISTUS Children's Burn and Wound Care Clinic provides outpatient follow up for children and adolescents who have experienced a mild to moderately severe burn, typically referred to as a superficial or deep partial thickness burn, or has open wound from injury or surgery. We work with families to learn how to provide safe, effective and comfortable burn and wound care at home.

What are the most common wounds seen in our clinic?

• Pressure: A pressure injury or wound occurs from sustained pressure on a contact point in the body. The most common pressure injuries are sacral and scalp decubitus ulcers, occurring most commonly in children and adolescents with limited mobility.
• Dog bites: Dog bite injuries can occur anywhere in the body. Common locations for dog bites include the face, arms and legs. These wounds require careful cleaning and may also require antibiotics to prevent infection. Some of these wounds are closed surgically, and others are left open to heal secondarily.
• Open wounds: An open surgical wound is a surgical incision that was either intentionally left open to prevent infection or was opened after surgery due to infection. An open non-surgical wound is any injury to skin and soft tissues that does not have appropriate coverage with skin to allow for normal healing. Open wounds heal by secondary intention, meaning that the body will slowly fill in the missing tissues and skin through processes of granulation (healing tissue) and epithelialization (new skin formation).