Multidisciplinary Approach to Working With Burn Victims of Child Abuse

Abstract

Successful outcomes in abuse cases are dependent upon close coordination of professional hospital staff with referring agencies including child protective services and the legal and judicial systems. A four-year retrospective study of 369 pediatric burn patients admitted to our Burn/ Trauma Center was completed to: (1) assess demographic factors of patients and families that differentiate cases of child abuse from cases of children burned as a result of accidental injury, and (2) determine the impact of a multidisciplinary team approach to working with abused children and their families during the course of hospitalization. When medical evaluation reveals the possiblity of child abuse, a social work assessment, including a developmental history of the child and psychosocial assessment of the family, is crucial. In addition, physicians must be well versed in the gathering of evidence for potential utilization by the legal system. This includes the obtainment of photographs and detailed documentation of the burn injury. A plan of evaluation and the effective coordination of services during hospitalization and following discharge have proven essential to meeting the best interests of the child