Why Anaesthesia is not used for Patients with Burn?
Burn victims must undergo a painful debridement of their wounds in order to prevent infection. Normally, they are given morphine and other non-anesthetic pain-killers. Sadly, this does not work. They still yell in pain during the operation, which is why they have to be housed seperately from other patients.
Why aren’t the burn patients given anesthesia [local or general] prior to the operation? Is there a safety issue with anesthetics?
Reasons for not using Anaesthesia
Burn victims definitely deserve adequate pain relief at all times including during dressing change
They are grossly under-dosed in clinical practice