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Burn Care

At the Arnold Luterman Regional Burn Center, we provide the most advanced and comprehensive burn care on the Gulf Coast.

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Burn Center: 251-471-7000

Burn Referrals: 833-USA-STAT

Follow-up Appointments: 251-445-8282

Burn Care At USA Health

Any damage to skin tissue that’s caused by sunlight, flames, hot liquids, heat, radiation or chemicals is a burn. No matter the source of the burn or the degree of damage, USA Health offers comprehensive burn care from a multidisciplinary team that includes nurses, dietitians, occupational therapists, physical therapists and nationally recognized burn surgeons.

Burn Unit

The Arnold Luterman Regional Burn Center includes a seven-bed ICU and a step-down, or intermediate care, unit with 12 beds. As the only burn center of its kind along the Gulf Coast, our specialists treat everything from mild burns to complex cases that may require an inpatient stay on our burn unit and months of follow-up therapy. Regardless of the patient’s condition, we use our expertise and innovative treatment options to provide the best possible outcomes.

USA Health has received:

The Joint Commission National Quality Approval2017 Accc Innovator AwardNational Committee For Quality Assurance Ncqa

Burn Care Providers

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Burns We Treat At USA Health

At the Arnold Luterman Regional Burn Center, our specialists treat every kind of burn.

  • Thermal burns: Any burn caused by a heat source is a thermal burn. This includes fire, flames, hot metals and scalds from steam or hot liquids.
  • Radiation burns: Radiation damages human skin and can cause radiation burns. As sunlight is a source of radiation, sunburns are a kind of radiation burn. Prolonged exposure to X-rays can also lead to radiation burns.
  • Chemical burns: Chemical burns happen when strong acids, alkalis, detergents or solvents come into contact with a person’s skin or eyes. In addition, the inhalation of smoke often produces chemical burns because of the high presence of noxious chemicals.
  • Electrical burns: Electricity passing through the body, whether AC (alternating current) or DC (direct current), can cause electrical burns. Lightning strikes can also cause a kind of electrical burn.

 

Understanding Burn Degrees

Burns are classified in one of three degrees:

  • First degree: A first-degree burn involves damage to the outer layer of skin, the epidermis. Even though the skin cells are damaged, the burn is considered mild and the skin typically heals itself.
  • Second degree: With a second-degree burn, the damage extends to the lower layer of the skin, the dermis. Generally, a second-degree burn causes pain, redness, blistering and swelling. If shallow enough, chances are good that it will heal well.
  • Third degree: Third-degree burns go through the dermis and into the deeper tissue, where cells would normally regenerate and replace damaged layers of skin. With third-degree burns, the skin is usually charred.

The Arnold Luterman Regional Burn Center is uniquely equipped to help patients with second- and third-degree burns.

Our Approach To Burn Treatment

USA Health remains on the leading edge of burn care. With advances over the past 20 years, most burns can now be treated on an outpatient basis. Even more serious burns don’t necessarily require skin graft surgery anymore. Regardless of the degree of the injury, we approach treatment at the Arnold Luterman Regional Burn Center with specific steps:
 

  • Assessment: The first step is evaluating the nature and the degree of the injury.
  • Wound care: Debridement, or cleaning of the wound, lays the foundation for treating a burn.
  • Fluid replacement or resuscitation: A person’s body reacts to injuries, including burns, by swelling. This buildup of fluids can lead to a dangerous inflammatory response. Our specialists carefully administer fluids to help the patient heal while, at the same time, monitoring the patient's intake to prevent a buildup of fluids in the organs.
  • Skin substitute and/or skin graft: If a burn is classified as a severe second-degree or a third-degree burn, we look for options to replace the area of skin that cannot heal on its own. Treatment at this point may involve a skin substitute or a skin graft.
  • Enhanced recovery pathway: Our team develops a patient-centered plan to get patients home as soon as possible where they can get the rest and nutrition necessary for an optimal recovery.

Wound Care and Debridement

A clean wound provides the critical foundation for recovery from any external burn injury. At USA Health, we offer the most advanced tools, technology and experience for optimal wound care.

The medical term for wound care is debridement. It involves removing damaged tissue or foreign objects from an affected wound. For the most serious wounds, debridement must be done daily; for less acute burns, it must be done every few days until the wound is stable and healing. Soap and water may be adequate to clean less severe wounds, but sometimes deeper cleaning is required.

Whatever the severity of your injury, our experienced specialists can provide the care you need on an inpatient or outpatient basis.

Burn Education and Prevention

The American Burn Association provides excellent Prevention Resources. Before the winter holidays, Gulf Coast residents are encouraged to review the Safety Fact Sheets for Campfire Safety [PDF] and Fireworks [PDF]. Additional tips from the American Burn Association are provided below:

Provided by the American Burn Association
Provided by the American Burn Association
Provided by the American Burn Association
Provided by the American Burn Association
Provided by the American Burn Association

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Dec312025

Our calendar lists special events and regularly scheduled classes separately. To display a list of upcoming classes, select the "Classes" option above or visit Events, Classes and Support Groups at USA Health.

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