Zoey is a thriving 3-year-old benefiting from Shriners Children’s Boston’s specialized pediatric burn care. When she was just 2, Zoey arrived at the hospital in February 2023 after sustaining scald injuries while helping her mother, Isabel, cook macaroni and cheese. “Zoey was on a stool and while stepping off, she slipped and fell backwards, hitting the boiling pot of water on the stove with her head,” Isabel explained. Zoey’s mother, who is an emergency room nurse, along with Zoey’s father, Chris, removed her clothing, placed her in a cool shower and called 911. “We were taken by ambulance to the emergency room and then transferred to Shriners Children's Boston,” said Isabel.
Scalds are the leading cause of burn injury in young children under the age of 5, and are most often caused by spills of hot food or drinks. Robert Sheridan, M.D., chief of staff and director of the burn service at Shriners Children's Boston, treated Zoey. Dr. Sheridan explained that children are most deeply burned where they are dressed. “The contact time and the temperature both contribute to the depth of the burn,” said Dr. Sheridan. “If the clothes are saturated, that contact time is a little bit longer so it’s important to get them off.”
It was a frightening time for Zoey’s family when they first arrived at Shriners Children’s Boston. She coded and was admitted to the to MassGeneral pediatric intensive care unit. “The Shriners Children’s Boston staff regularly checked in on Zoey and our family during that time at MassGeneral,” said Isabel.
Upon returning to Shriners Children’s Boston, a plan was put in place to treat Zoey’s scalds. Dr. Sheridan explained that there are several approaches to helping patients with these types of injuries. “If you think the burn is going to heal, you want to go on a pathway of topical care and supportive care. If you think the burn needs to be grafted because it’s so deep and there’s fear of infection, you want to go to the operating room earlier,” said Dr. Sheridan.
He went on to explain that the burn may change or develop over time. “The burns always look deeper several days into it. So there can be uncertainty sometimes which direction the wound will take. It’s important to share this with the family and explain how treatment may change.” For Zoey’s care, Isabel explained that she had skin grafting on her arms, shoulder and back.
