Abstract
Ensuring adequate pre-hospital care in the pediatric burn patient is dependent on the weighting od six fundamental prognostic factors: the mechanism of injury, the percentage of burned surface area, age, location, burn depth and data from the patient's history. From the etiologic point of view, thermal injury is divided inti scald burns, flame burns, chemical burns and burns due to electrical injury.
The precentage of burned area is assessed according to clinically defined tables or by using the palmar rule. Furthermore, the depth of injury is divided into 3 basic degrees and the most serious sites of injury are the hands, face, neck and genitals.
Regarding short-term prognosis, the relationship between age and the extent of burn injury is the most important. Lastly, data from the patient's history plays an inextricable part in the complex assessment of burn injuries.