Thermal injury is one of the most common and devastating forms of trauma, as it affects the skin, the largest and most visible organ. According to the CDC, about 1.1 million people suffer a burn injury and seek medical help every year in the U.S. Of those, approximately 50,000 suffer moderate to severe burns and require hospitalization for treatment for days or even months with 20,000 suffering burns over 25% of their total body surface area (“TBSA”). The American Burn Association (“ABA”) estimates that approximately 3,400 deaths are attributable to burn injuries.

In spite of improvements in mortality, there remains a significant need to improve the quality of healing of burn patients. Patients with moderate to severe burns suffer from infections, permanent scarring, disfigurement, immobility, acute and chronic pain and significant psychological issues such as depression and isolation. Additionally, burn patients may experience chronic itching (pruritus), tingling, stiffness, cold/freezing sensation, numbness, warmth and cramping.

According to the ABA, hospitalizations for burns represent only 1 percent of all injuries in the U.S., but treatments cost more than $10.4 billion per year. The ABA also estimates that the average cost to treat a burn greater than 10% of a patient’s TBSA is in excess of $240,000. For severe burns treated without complications, the average cost is greater than $1.6 million. With complications, a severe burn can cost more than $10 million to treat successfully. In 2011, the average length of stay for burn patients was 8.4 days with a mortality rate of 3%. However, these figures vary greatly depending upon the total surface area of the body (“TSAB”) burned.