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Your child will need wound care in the burn unit. This handout will help prepare you and your child for an Outpatient Short Stay Appointment in the Burn Unit.
What to Bring
A list of your child’s medicines (include any that have been prescribed by other providers).
A list of your child’s allergies (also include any side effects such as upset stomach, nausea, diarrhea, etc.).
Dressing supplies (if asked to do so in your child’s previous visit).
Getting Ready
If your child is being sedated for wound care, they cannot have any food or drink in their stomach. If they eat or drink after the times listed, the sedation and wound care will be postponed. Follow the directions below:
6 hours before your child’s sedation: Stop all solid foods. Stop drinking milk, formula, and any other cloudy liquids.
4 hours before your child’s sedation: Stop breastmilk.
2 hours before your child’s sedation: Stop all clear liquids such as broth, clear juices, water, popsicles.
Pain Medicine
Your child should take pain medicine as directed one hour before the visit, even if not having pain. This medicine can be taken with a sip of water only. This visit may cause pain, so pain medicine is needed. It may work best to take the pain medicine once you park in the UW parking ramp.
Arriving for the Appointment
Please arrive at the time listed in your After Visit Summary. Enter through main hospital entrance of University Hospital. Check in at Admissions on the 2nd floor before going to the Burn Unit.
Wound Care
The nurse will check your child in and ask some questions. If your child is going to be sedated, they will be given sedation medicines to drink. The sedation medicines can take 10-30 minutes to start working.
Once your child is sedated, we will remove the dressings. The wound will be washed with soap and water. We will see how the wound is healing and take pictures for the medical record. We will decide if any changes are needed and will then apply a new dressing.
If your child was sedated, it can take up to a few hours for the medicines to wear off. Each child reacts differently to these medicines, so we do not know how long this will take. The medicines must wear off before leaving the hospital. Before you leave, we will make sure your child can eat and drink safely.
Dressings at Home
Do not remove the dressings at home. We will remove them at your child’s next visit. Keep the dressings clean and dry.
Who to Call
UW Burn/Wound Clinic
(608) 264-8040
UW Burn Unit
(608) 263-1490
