Clinical
Introduction to burns care
<p>BURNS ARE AMONG the most devastating injuries a person can sustain and survive, but little economic analysis has been conducted to assess the cost-effectiveness of burns care. This is particularly so in the case of non-complex burns, which are defined as burns that are treated in the community, do not require grafting and are managed using widely available wound dressings (Butcher and swales 2012). Evidence suggests that dressing expenditure forms a small fraction of the total cost of burns care (Hemington-gorse et al 2009, Pellatt et al 2010). The main emphasis of health economics in burns care has historically been on severe injuries, requiring costly surgery and lengthy hospital stays.</p>