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Preparing for your appointment
By Mayo Clinic staffSeek emergency medical care for burns that are moderate or severe, are widespread, or involve your hands, feet, groin or face. For less severe burns or if you experience complications, you may need an appointment with your health care provider. The information below can help you prepare for a medical evaluation.
Write down your signs and symptoms, when they occurred, and how they occurred. Also, make a list of all medications, including vitamins, herbs and over-the-counter drugs, that you're taking. Even better, take the original bottles and a written list of the dosages and directions.
Prepare a list of questions so that you can make the most of your time with your doctor. For burns, some basic questions to ask your doctor include:
- Do I need treatment for the burn?
- What are my treatment options and the pros and cons for each?
- What are the alternatives to the primary approach that you're suggesting?
- Can I wait to see if the burn heals on its own?
- Do I need prescription medication, or can I use over-the-counter medications to treat the burn?
- What results can I expect?
- What skin care routines do you recommend while the burn heals?
- What kind of follow-up, if any, should I expect?
- What changes in my skin should I look for?
What to expect from your doctor
Your doctor is likely to ask you a number of questions, such as:
- How did the burn occur?
- Do you have other symptoms?
- What medications are you taking?
- What at-home treatments have you used, if any?
- Have you noticed any changes in the appearance of the burn?
- Sheridan RL. Thermal injuries. In: Wolff K, et al. Fitzpatrick's Dermatology in General Medicine. 7th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=2974407. Accessed Feb. 1, 2010.
- Singer AJ, et al. Thermal burns. In: Marx JA, et al. Rosen's Emergency Medicine. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby; 2009. http://www.mdconsult.com/book/player/linkTo?type=bookPage&isbn=978-0-323-05472-0&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05472-0..00060-8. Accessed Feb. 1, 2010.
- Morgan ED, et al. Treatment of minor thermal burns. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Feb. 1, 2010.
- Rice PL Jr. Emergency care of moderate and severe thermal burns in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Feb. 1, 2010.
- Burns. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec21/ch315/ch315a.html?qt=burns&alt=sh#. Accessed Feb. 4, 2010.
- Burns: Avoiding household burns. American College of Emergency Physicians. http://www3.acep.org/patients.aspx?id=25990. Accessed Feb. 3, 2010.
- Mass casualties: Burns. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. www.bt.cdc.gov/masscasualties/burns.asp. Accessed Feb. 4, 2010.
- Claypool DW (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Feb. 22, 2010.
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