Transfer, Telemedicine and Transportation in Pre-hospital Burn Management

A significant proportion of burn injuries occur in rural or remote locations without immediate access to a burn centre. As a result, most thermally injured patients are initially assessed and triaged at a pre-hospital healthcare facility before consideration of transfer to a dedicated burn centre. However, not all burn-injured patients require urgent transfer to a burn centre. Ensuring that patients are appropriately transferred and transported from the pre-hospital setting to the burn centre can significantly impact the overall burn care. This chapter reviews (1) the transfer of thermally injured patients from the pre-hospital setting, (2) the role of telemedicine and technology in the pre-hospital management of burn injuries and (3) the determination of the most appropriate method of transportation for thermally injured patients.