120000 patients are seen with burns in emergency departments in the U.
K. each year. Of these, 50% will be children. The average age of the c
hildren admitted to the North East Thames Regional Burns Unit (NETRBU)
will be 4 years, and the size of the burn 10% body surface area. Some
of the children admitted will be severely ill requiring intensive tre
atment. Many will be scarred, and have long-term morbidity. This paper
offers a treatment protocol for burned children from first aid to man
agement in the emergency department, and describes the regimen for tre
atment then followed in the NETRBU.