Burn care: The challenges of research

Abstract

Burn care is an area which has advanced relentlessly over the past decades with improved survival and quality of survival. However, there are many challenges which overshadow the successes. The translation of what we know into clinical practice remains a challenge due to issues on many levels from overcoming personal opinion to resource allocation. We live in a time of exponential increase in knowledge in diverse areas which could be harnessed to improve the lives of those suffering burn injuries. Breaking down silos in education training and research remain challenging and again the allocation of resource is key. Ultimately when the goal is "One World One Standard of Burn Care"the greatest challenge is in education with specific reference to burn injury prevention and first aid.