Pruritus and Burn Wounds
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Guest Editor: Robert S. Kirsner, MD
Completion Time: The estimated time to completion for this activity is 1 hour.
Target Audience: This CME activity is intended for dermatologists, surgeons, internists, and physicians who treat burn wounds.
At the conclusion of this activity, the participant should be able to:
1) Recognize the problem of itching or pruritus in the healed burn wound
2) Discuss the current theories as to pathogenesis of pruritus
3) Recognize the current treatment modalities used for pruritus, including success rate and failure
4) Discuss the basis for the new modalities being pursued for
itching.
Disclosure: All faculty participating in Continuing Medical Education programs sponsored by HMP Communications, LLC, are expected to disclose to the program audience any real or apparent conflict(s) of interest related to the content of their presentation. Drs. Demling and Nelson and Ms. DeSanti disclose no financial conflicts.
Commercial Support Disclosure: This activity is financially supported through an unrestricted educational grant by Healthpoint Ltd., Ft. Worth, Texas.
Accreditation: HMP Communications, LLC, is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
Designation: HMP Communications, LLC, designates this continuing medical education activity for 1 credit hour in Category 1 of the Physician’s Recognition Award of the American Medical Association. Each physician should claim only those hours he/she spent in the educational activity.
Method of Participation: Read the article, take, submit, and pass post-test by February 1, 2003.
How to obtain educational credits by reading this article: Participants must score at least 70 percent on the questions and successfully complete the entire evaluation form (found at end of article), tear anwer and evaluation form out or copy it, and send it to the correct address listed below. Certificates will be mailed to those who successfully complete the learning assessment by February 1, 2003.
Fax the completed form to: (610) 560-0501 or mail the completed form to:
Trish Levy, CME Director
HMP Communications, LLC
83 General Warren Blvd.
Suite 100
Malvern, PA 19355
This activity has been planned and produced in accordance with the ACCME Essential Areas and Policies.
Release date: February 1, 2002
Expiration date: February 1, 2003
Pruritus and Burn Wounds
Introduction
The problem of itch for the burn survivor and the need for a more effective treatment were first noted formally in 1988. At that time, Gordon wrote, “Burn-related pruritus is a serious problem that often receives little attention, even though it continues to aggravate burn patients during their post-burn course of treatment and rehabilitation.”1 Bell, et al., added, “No succinctly defined method of treatment (for pruritus in burns) is found in the literature.”2 This situation was addressed again in two Delphi studies designed to set priorities for burn nursing research.
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