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Drugs Used in the Medical Management of Burns and Skin Ulcers

Burns can be serious injuries, becoming infected, swollen and painful if left untreated. Depending on the size, location and severity of the burn, the wound may be treated at home or by a medical professional. During treatment, oral, IV or topical drugs may be used to manage infection, swelling and pain. In a similar way, skin ulcers, which are also open wounds, may be treated medically with drugs to aid in their healing and relief.

  1. When Drugs May Be Needed

    • Drugs may be required whenever medical attention to the burn is needed. If the burn is near the face, hands or groin area, medical attention (and the drug treatments that may follow) should be sought. Also, if the burn covers a significant portion of the body or is severe or moderately severe, medical attention should be sought. The medical professional will ascertain how to treat the burn or ulcer appropriately.

    Topical Drug Treatments

    • If the burn swells and causes pain to the patient, the medical professional may apply topical treatments to reduce the swelling and relieve any discomfort, as well as to lessen the likelihood of infection. These topical treatments may include ointments containing silver sulfadiazine, mafenide, silver nitrate and povidone-iodine. Likewise, topical steroids may be used to alleviate swelling in skin ulcers.

    Oral/IV Treatments

    • IV treatment may be necessary to administer antibiotics and alleviate pain.

      Oral antibiotics may be used to prevent infection of the burned area. Over-the-counter drugs may be used to relieve pain for first- and minor second-degree burns. These include ibuprofen and acetaminophen. For skin ulcers, oral and IV drugs include antibiotics to lessen the chance of infection and steroids to reduce inflammation. Prescription drugs may include acetaminophen with morphine, codeine or meperidine.

    Responsiveness

    • A treated burn will take at least two to three weeks to heal, even if it is only moderately severe. A burn begins to heal when a scab forms over the top of the wound, and new skin tissue grows and fills in the burned area. However, scarring may be permanent, both for burns and skin ulcers.

    Complementary Treatments

    • Surgery may be used, as well as drugs, to heal the burn or ulcer.

      Topical, oral and IV drugs often complement other burn treatments. These include skin grafting, used when a very large area of skin has been burned, as well as surgery. Surgery may be used to close an open wound resulting from the burn or to remove dead tissue. Surgery may be used on skin ulcers as well, but it is a rarer treatment as existing ulcers may worsen, as a result, in a condition known as pathergy.

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