Optimal timing for burned hands in children.

Hand burns in children are frequent, severe, and require adequate treatment. A fundamental, though problematic aspect of this treatment is the assessment of the burn depth as this determines the surgical strategy. From a retrospective study of 369 hand burns admitted to our clinic, we were able to identify some patterns. A total of 14.91% required surgery, with varying etiology among these patients. Differences were also noticed in the number of days post-burn prior to surgical intervention. The patterns revealed by our results are reviewed in order to improve therapeutic strategy.