INTRODUCTION
The goal of this CPG is to provide practical, evidence-based recommendations for optimal care of burn casualties in the deployed or austere setting who generally fall into one of two categories: military casualties who can be evacuated out of theater for definitive care and local national patients, often children, who are presented for care at military medical facilities with no possibility of definitive care beyond that provided in theater.
NOTE: If caring for a burn casualty, contact the US Army Institute of Surgical Research (USAISR) Burn Center as soon as possible. Early consultation will facilitate coordination of care to include possible activation of the Burn Flight Team to assist with movement back to Continental US (CONUS). Inability to contact the Burn Center should not delay the evacuation process. Contact the Joint Patient Movement Requirements Center (JPMRC) as soon as possible to coordinate aeromedical evacuation.
BURN CENTER
Optimal treatment of burn patients can consume enormous personnel and logistical resources. Despite the best efforts of providers at each level of care, the mortality for burn casualties who cannot be evacuated out of theater is significantly higher than that experienced in CONUS facilities. These and other factors must be considered in the deployed environment.