Burns are considered serious injuries, as they lead to severe consequences affecting an individual's life. Since occupational therapy is an allied health specialty concerned with the rehabilitation of individuals after an injury, occupational therapists are also concerned with burn injuries as they look to the individual holistically considering his abilities and skills. And so, they help them return to performing their daily life activities with the greatest possible level of independence.
Occupational therapists take a comprehensive view of an individual. They take into account the influence of their strengths and weaknesses in addition to the surrounding environment on an individual’s desire to perform the task. So, the therapists' role begins with assessing the condition and the extent of the barriers that impede an individual's completion of the activity. Based on that, they develop an appropriate treatment plan that may include modifying some activities that are performed by individuals to suit their abilities or new activities suitable for the individual, or the therapist may suggest some assistive tools that assist the injured to perform their life activities in the simplest way possible. Another role that the therapist plays is to provide advice and suggestions to make the home a suitable environment for the individual's health, by reducing the movement barriers that hinder their performance.
The treatment plan depends on the type of burn, whether it is thermal, electrical, friction, chemical, or radiation. It also depends on the valued activities of the individual. Those plans often include and focus on splints and correct postures (positioning) in order to avoid contracture of the skin that limits the range of motion. In addition, they might include range of motion exercises (including hand and face ), treatment for swallowing difficulties (dysphagia), treatment of wound, scarring, swelling (edema), and finally, puts into consideration the psychological status of the injured.
The Burns Department receives all ages at Al-Babtain Hospital and provides services to ward (inpatient) and outpatients. (Look at the map)