Fires, scalds, or flammable liquids cause most burns, but serious skin damage can also result from exposure to chemicals, electricity, heat, or sunlight. Approximately 1.1 million burn injuries occur each year in the U.S., according to the American Burn Association. About 45,000 patients require hospitalization and about half of those are admitted to special burn units.
UT Southwestern Medical Center’s burn rehabilitation program is widely recognized for its leadership and effectiveness in treating patients with burn injuries. Our dedication to excellence in treating burn victims is exemplified by our designation as a Level I Trauma Center, which is the highest possible designation for an emergency care facility. In 1988, UT Southwestern became the first verified regional Level I Trauma Center in Texas.
Established in 1962, the Burn Center at UT Southwestern has evolved into one of the largest burn units in the nation. In addition to admitting more than 500 adult and pediatric burn patients annually, our emergency room treats almost 1,000 burn victims each year.
The types of burns we treat include:
UT Southwestern receives significant funding from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR), which has enabled us to establish the North Texas Burn Rehabilitation Model System (NTBRMS). Internationally recognized for effectively integrating research and clinical activities, the NTBRMS helps advance the science of burn rehabilitation as well as deliver advanced therapeutic techniques for the treatment of burn injury patients.
Burn rehabilitation therapists offer attentive and compassionate care at one of the nation’s leading heath care facilities. UT Southwestern’s physicians, therapists, and psychologists provide the specialized care and treatments needed to address all aspects of burn rehabilitation, including skin care and scar tissue management, pain management, mobility therapy, aquatherapy, and family education and counseling.