[Primary treatment of thermic burns of the hand in childhood (author's transl)].

The hand was involved in 18.5% of our cases of heat injuries to children. First and second degree damage caused no diagnostic or therapeutic problems. Difficulties arose in distinguishing 3 a from 3 b injuries. With few exceptions, the clinical course justified a primarily conservative management. Heart injuries clearly of 3rd degree could only be primarily excised within certain limits, in the presence of shock, involvement of other regions and inadequate primary care. 12% of the thermically injured hands were admitted beyond the time-limit for primary delayed operation, and even for secondary transplantation. In five children, amputation was necessary after circular burns of 3rd degree by means of flames or electric current.