Burn injury and explosions: an Australian perspective.
OBJECTIVE
Increasingly (but not exclusively), terrorist activity and the use of explosive devices have enjoyed the focus of the global media. This paper aims to bring a range of issues to attention, to highlight how burn injuries are sustained in such incidents and why burn injuries (and thus burn disasters) are so complicated to manage.


METHODS
The author's experience with burn injury caused during explosions and his involvement in burn disaster situations has been summarized to form the basis of the article. This has been expanded upon with discussion points which provide a strategy for planning for such events and by a broad sample of the literature.


RESULTS
Several strategies are suggested to facilitate planning for burn disasters and to illustrate to those not directly involved why forward planning is pivotal to success when these incidents occur.


CONCLUSIONS
Disasters generating large numbers of burn-injured are relatively frequent. Explosive devices are widespread in their use both in military and increasingly in civilian fields. Encompassing a large range of aetiologies, geographical sites, populations, and resources; burn disaster management is difficult and planning essential.
Greenwood
John E
JE
Royal Adelaide Hospital, North Terrace, Adelaide 5000, South Australia. john.greenwood@health.sa.gov.au