National Burn Service
Referral and guideline information for health professionals dealing with burn emergencies.
Pātiki and Waharua Kōpito patterns
Referral criteria
National Burn Centre referral criteria
- Burns greater than 30% total body surface area (TBSA).
- Full thickness burns to face, hands, genitalia or perineum.
- Burn injury with significant inhalation injury.
- Electrical burns — high voltage with underlying tissue damage.
- Significant chemical burns.
Download the National Burn Centre referral form.
National Burn Centre referral form [PDF, 310 KB]
Regional Burn Unit referral criteria
- Burns greater than 10% total body surface area (TBSA) for adults or 5% for tamariki.
- Burns to special areas such as the face, hands, feet, perineum or over major joints.
- Full thickness burns greater than 5% TBSA.
- Electrical burns, including lightning injury.
- Chemical burns.
- Burn injury with inhalation injury.
- Circumferential burns of the limbs or chest.
- Burn injury in patients at the extremes ages such as tamariki and the elderly.
- Burn injury in patients with pre-existing medical disorders that could complicate management, prolong recover or affect mortality.
- Any burn patient with burns and accompanying trauma, such as fractures, in which the burn injury poses the greater immediate risk of morbidity or mortality.
- Any burn suspected with abuse.
Download the Regional Burn Unit referral form.
Referral process
Follow the steps below or download the referral flowchart.
Regional Burn Unit contacts
Call the on-call plastic surgery registrar on one of the following numbers.
- Middlemore Hospital – 09 276 0000 or 021 784 057
- Waikato Hospital – 07 839 8899
- Hutt Hospital – 04 570 9999
- Christchurch Hospital – 03 364 0640
National Burn Service resources
We have the following available to download on resource page:
- referral and transfer forms
- policies and guidelines
- emergency plan
- patient and family information.
Feedback
We welcome all comments and suggestions.