UF Health Shands Burn Center

UF Health acute care surgeons work with plastic surgeons (including hand surgeons), nurses, and social workers to provide thorough, outstanding care.

UF Health acute care surgeons work with hand surgeons, pediatric surgeons, nurses, and social workers to provide thorough and compassionate care for adults and children with burn injuries, severe skin disorders, difficult or chronic wound problems and those requiring assistance following complex corrective or reconstructive surgeries. We offer a full spectrum of care from outpatient service to the most advanced level of inpatient critical care medicine.

In 1973, we opened a six bed burn intensive care unit with the support of Eugene Tubbs, M.D., who was a legislator, physician and attorney. In 1988, a new unit was opened. Hal G. Bingham, M.D., served as the unit's medical director, overseeing its expansion to eight beds. David W. Mozingo, M.D., became the unit's medical director in 1996 after Dr. Bingham's retirement. Under Dr. Mozingo's direction, the unit was unit certified as a Burn Center with eight beds and outpatient services expanded to include wound care. Dr. Mozingo works closely with the chief of pediatric surgery and medical director for pediatric burns and wound care, Saleem Islam M.D., to provide a multidisciplinary, team approach to treating patients and saving lives.

Admissions

When a patient is referred to the UF Health Shands Burn Center, he or she is evaluated and a treatment plan is developed incorporating the appropriate services based on his or her individual medical status and needs.

The American Burn Association through the American College of Surgeons identified the following criteria as requiring referral to a burn center after initial assessment and treatment at an emergency department:

• Second-degree burns greater than or equal to 10 percent of the total body surface area
• Burns that involve the face, hands, feet, genitalia, perineum or major joints
• Third-degree burns in any age group
• Electrical burns, including lightning injury
• Chemical burns
• Inhalation injury
• Pre-existing medical disorders that could complicate management, prolong recovery or affect mobility
• Burns and concomitant trauma (other injuries such as broken bones; fractures; brain injuries; inhalation injuries or abdominal trauma) in which injury poses the greatest risk of morbidity or mortality
• Children needing qualified personnel and equipment
• Patients who require special social, emotional or long-term rehab intervention

Research at the Burn Center

As part of an academic medical center, we are committed to being actively involved in research. Through research we can continue to innovate and provide state-of-the-art clinical care. By studying materials or medications that may decrease hospital length of stay, imrpove healing time, improve cosmetic outcomes and lower costs, we help improve patient outcomes.

Current research studies include:

• Comparing a new topical cream to standard burn cream in the treatment of severe burns
• Evaluating the impact of traditional burn treatments on swallowing
• Studying the characteristics of healing in burn patients in order to improve future care
• Use of skin graft adhesive to improve healing and decrease pain from staples
• Analyzing fluids and tissue from chronic wounds such as diabetic foot ulcers, decubitus and venous stasis ulcers to better understand the healing properties
• New Antimicrobial therapy for ventilator associated pneumonias
• New medications to improve pain management in the thermally injured patient
• Participate in multicenter trials groups to better understand disease states such as TENS, Purpura Fulminans as well as general burn care

As new therapies become available in the area of burns and chronic wounds we will be offering further research.