Rehabilitation of the burn patient.

A successful outcome to the management of the significantly burned patient requires a team approach. Although at one time survival alone was considered a sufficient indicator of success, the quality of that survival now must be closely assessed prior to self-congratulations. The burn team, in addition to the usual medical personnel, requires occupational and physical therapy, as well as rehabilitation medical specialists, whose goals are to preserve function and restore independence. Burn care that does not emphasize these goals from the first day of injury, and extended well beyond initial discharge from the hospital, does not match contemporary standards of excellent care.