complex wound and burn management

Complex Wound and Burn Management

Blythedale is a center of excellence in treating children with complex burns and wounds. The goal of the complex wound rehabilitation team is to obtain maximum autonomy and functionality while maintaining the optimal integrity of the healing wound or grafts with scar control.

Why Blythedale...

In addition to Blythedale's dedicated Wound Team, and clinical expertise in burn rehabilitation, the Hospital provides state-of-the-art wound management capabilities, including VAC therapy.

  • Inpatient
  • Day Hospital
  • Long Term Care

The child’s clinical team works collaboratively with parents and other caregivers to identify developmentally appropriate medical and therapeutic goals.  This team is also committed to meeting the psychological and social challenges that accompany burn and wound treatment and recovery, including body image concerns.

Comprehensive rehabilitation, aggressive nutritional support, pain management, infection avoidance, evaluation of needs by sophisticated pressure mapping for wounds, and the optimization of any necessary medical equipment (including vacuum assist wound closure devices) are integral parts of the program.  Close, ongoing collaboration with referring surgical teams is a mainstay of Blythedale’s approach as a regional referral center.  Coordinated planning for discharge provides families with detailed information regarding follow-up care, equipment needs, specialized accommodations and support services available to ensure the continuity of care.

Dedicated On-Site Wound Team

Complex Wound and Burn Management Team

Blythedale’s specialized complex wound rehabilitation team is comprised of certified wound care nurses, pediatricians, physiatrists, psychology, Child Life, rehabilitation nursing, nutritional support and the largest hospital-based department of pediatric therapists (physical, occupational, speech and respiratory) in New York State. These specialists provide acute, comprehensive inpatient burn and complex wound rehabilitation to children who are admitted from regional tertiary care centers.

Tenacious Tasnim

Tenacious teen regains independence following double amputation.

Thirteen-year-old Tasnim moved to the United States from Bangladesh in 2015, and settled with her family in Brooklyn. She quickly acclimated to her new school - excelling in academics, playing on the volleyball team, and making many friends. When she began exhibiting flu-like symptoms, she visited the family physician. The last thing she recalls is speaking with the doctor before slipping into an unconscious state and waking up ten days later in a hospital bed, surrounded by machines.

ot sled

Everyone loves superheroes. The superheroes for me are the kids here at Blythedale. We challenge them and they meet the demands that we give them.

- Ruth Alejandro, M.D., Attending Physiatrist