Visiting a Burns Patient?
Instead of carrying the common sugary drinks and fruits, please carry boiled chicken if the patient can eat.
For a patient with a feeding tube, you can carry boiled fish or eggs as they can be blended into a liquid for tube feeding.

Your protein goodies will reduce the patient's risk of death as mortality rates of burn patients are associated with high skin and muscle protein loss.

Many times, caretakers have inadequate protein on ward which results in low albumin levels ( albumin is a protein) and the hospital team may prescribe pricy protein supplements or even more expensively IV Albumin when situation is critical.

Dietary protein is the cheaper option if the patient has a functioning gut.

Recruitment of Nutritionists at all Burn Units is useful in supervising protein intake as other health care professionals typically only stop at saying eat protein.
Dietary interventions need behavior change support so simply leaving an instruction that does not always translate into action.

REFERENCE FOR DIETITIANS ON PROTEIN REQUIREMENTS FOR BURNS PATIENTS:

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.burns.2021.02.028

Writer: Nantege Regina Regis, Dietitian