What is involved in the treatment of radiation burns?
The treatment of radiation burns can be a complex process depending on the extent of the burns, but begins with the patient's stabilization, so it has a better chance of survival of the treatment process. There are a number of forms of radiation, including burns from cancer therapy, work with radioactive material, prolonged exposure to the sun and exposure to detonation of nuclear weapons. Care providers preparing to treat radiation burns in an emergency situation must also consider the fact that there may be more victims that need a high level.
In acute burning radiation, the first step in treatment is the same as in any medical emergency situation: to ensure the patient's respiratory tract, breathe and circulation. These three components of care are known as ABC. Problems with some of them can be fatal. With radiation burns, care providers must think about problems such as swelling caused by thermal injuries that could block the airways and make Breathe more difficult.
If the patient appears to be stable, the burn care provider can use a clean and dry bandage to minimize pain while the patient receives transport. Patients with extreme pain may also receive pain treatment such as morphine. In the hospital environment, the staff can inspect and clean. To treat radiation by surface injuries, it is possible to simply wash the wound and keep it clean during the healing process. When the patient was exposed to ionizing radiation, the ongoing necrotic process could develop, where the cells around the edge of the burns are still dying due to damage.
In very deep burns or cases of necrosis spread, the patient will need surgical debridement in radiation treatment. In this procedure, the surgeon works on an anesthetic patient to remove all damaged and dead tissue. Surgeons can follow various therapeutic instructions for this process. The patient may also need skin wTypes from other areas of the body or donor tissue to replace the skin damaged by damaged radiation.
Burn victims with extensive injuries tend to have difficulty in thermoregulation and fluid retention. In these patients, the treatment of radiation burns may include intravenous fluid administration to hydrate the patient. However, care providers must monitor the patient's swelling because the patient cannot easily eliminate fluids and may be overloaded. The patient may also have to be controlled in the room to maintain a stable body temperature. When the skin is seriously damaged, it cannot regulate the temperature so effectively and patients can overheat or develop hypothermia.