Burns in prisoners: an assessment of problems in handling prisoners in a burns unit

All burns units look after members of the prison population at times. This can cause anxiety among the staff and unique problems with management. Four cases were reviwed from Her Majestyʹs Prison (HMP) Perth, Scotland, all of whom required resuscitation, and a survey undertaken of the nursing staff in our unit to assess attitudes to caring for burns prisoners in particular. Despite a careful search of the literature, no reference to the problems of managing prisoners in a burns unit could be found. However, it was found that the handling of vivlent offenders can be a significant cause of anxiety for nursing staff, and the presence of prison officers a reassurance rather than a hindrance in the management of burned prisoners. It is therefore recommended that prison officers be present at all times while managin burned prisoners.