The area of a skin graft should not be moved for up to five days following surgery in order for the graft to become secure. Then exercise programs, tub baths, and other activities resume. Exercise helps manage swelling, helps the burn to heal, and promotes range of motion when contraction occurs. Consequences of Burn Injury For Victims and Survivors Burn victims and survivors are often heavily sedated or are in shock when they reach the burn unit, and may have little knowledge of the gravity of their circumstances. The first several days or weeks can be hazy. Victims and survivors are quickly introduced to grueling treatment regimens with little time to think or feel. Later, after interacting with family, friends, and medical personnel, they begin to grasp the extent of their wounds and may begin to fear what will happen to them. They may even fear that they will die as a result of their injuries. Because of the nature of the injuries and needs as not to burden their family. As a result, the hospital becomes a comfortable, protective, and insulated environment that is difficult to leave. As a burn trauma victim and survivor, you may recall spending the initial days and months after a burn injury fearing the unknown and the uncertainty of the future. You may remember being fearful of both physical and emotional pain. Depending upon the severity of the burn injury you may feel anxious, depressed, guilty, and/or worried when thinking about your future. Anger may follow after learning of the consequences of the burn. Unlike many victims and survivors, those with burn injuries wear the scars of their trauma for the world to see. The reality of disfigurement or disability may not hit you until arriving home. You may be confronted with altered appearances, altered self-images, physical impairments, and psychological reactions, all of which can be frightening. the treatment of burns, a victim and survivor may have relied heavily upon burn unit staff to meet his or her physical and emotional
While in the hospital many victims and survivors experience feelings of fear and anxiety about their injuries.
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