The acute and subacute management of the burned hand.

Management of the severely burned upper extremity remains a significant challenge to the most experienced clinician. An understanding of the underlying mechanism that uncorrected could culminate in a negative outcome is the key to formulation of a successful treatment plan. Initial proper splinting, avoidance of edema, the appropriate sequencing and integration of physical therapy, and judicious surgical intervention, all considered within the framework of the individual patient, are the components of the treatment plan that yields the most consistently good results.