Welcome to our website

The EBA (European Burn Association) committee for the certification of burn centers in Europe awarded the "Certification of European Burn Centers" to the MHH's severe burn unit in November 2015 following an audit, thus acknowledging the high standard of patient care.

Our Nursing is based on the MHH mission statement and the nursing concept of Hannover Medical School. It is planned, carried out and evaluated in a patient-oriented manner, taking into account the psychosocial situation.

The admission and hydrotherapy room for the care of burn patients and six intensive care beds are supervised by the nursing and medical treatment team of ward 71 in close cooperation with the anesthesia department.

The nursing team consists of full-time and part-time registered nurses, some of whom have completed two years of further specialist training in intensive care and anaesthesia care as well as training as wound therapists.

Participation in internal and external training courses is an integral part of our Human Resources. Through regular participation in specialist congresses as well as correspondence and work shadowing with and in other burn centers in Germany, Austria and in Germany, Austria and Switzerland,
, we guarantee patients a high standard of care.

New colleagues are supported by trained mentors and practical instructors during the induction period and beyond. Trainees from the nursing school are accompanied and guided by a mentor throughout their entire period of employment. This gives them the opportunity to gain an initial insight into intensive care.

We guarantee continuous care by working in a three-shift system in order to restore the well-being and health of our patients through interdisciplinary cooperation.

The focus of our nursing work is on postoperative monitoring and treatment after plastic surgery and the care of severely burned patients with extensive and/or septic wounds.

Patients are admitted to our intensive care unit for various reasons, e.g. after a burn, scald or chemical burn, they are admitted directly to our unit via hydrotherapy. Treatment also takes place after plastic surgery if the patient requires special treatment and monitoring for several hours or days. It may also be necessary if the patient's state of health deteriorates during treatment on another ward. Unfortunately, it is not always possible to predict the necessary duration of intensive care.

The range of care includes, among other things

• Epidermolysis
• frostbite
• Plastic surgery patients requiring intensive care
• Electrical injuries (high voltage current/arc)
• chemical burns
• Burn trauma / inhalation trauma
• scalds

Specialized care measures on the ward are

• the early rehabilitation of patients, taking into account their special resources
• Use of kinetic therapies
• Wound cleansing using hydrotherapy
• Wound treatment with various wound dressings (Biobrane, Acticoat etc.), vacuum therapy,
• alloplastic material (foreign skin) and leeches

The quality of Nursing is achieved and guaranteed by, among other things

• specialist training
• interdisciplinary cooperation with other professional groups
• personnel development concept
• Nursing standards and expert standards
• Participation in external and internal training courses
• Implementation of the nursing process

Your relative is in our intensive care unit. This is probably a very worrying situation for you.

With the following information, we would like to help you to better understand the situation your relative is in. If you have any questions, you can of course contact your relative's nurse or the physician on duty at any time.

For some patients, breathing must be supported by a ventilator. This device is connected to the patient via tubes. Air flows in and out via the breathing tube, which is inserted into the windpipe through the mouth or nose. Inserting the tube is called intubation, removing it is called extubation. If the patient needs the help of the ventilator for a longer period of time, a tracheotomy may be performed. As long as the tube is in place, the patient cannot speak, drink or eat. Depending on the patient's situation and the medication used, you may find your relative in an artificial deep sleep, dazed or awake. The awake patient has the opportunity to express themselves through signs and gestures or in response to specific questions. When the tube is removed and the patient is sufficiently awake, they can speak again.

The patient is connected to monitors for constant monitoring of heart function, blood pressure, body temperature, blood oxygen levels and other important bodily functions. The data is recorded via sensors (electrodes) attached to the body and connected to the monitoring devices via cables. The measured values can be read off in the form of curves or figures on the corresponding screens. Almost all devices in the intensive care unit react to even the smallest changes with audible and visible signals. This does not usually mean acute danger. However, the alarms draw our attention to a particular situation and help us to act in good time in an emergency.

Thin plastic tubes (venous catheters) inserted into a blood vessel ensure the necessary supply of medication, fluids and nutrients. As long as the patient is unable to eat and drink normally, nutrition is provided either via a tube inserted through the nose into the stomach (gastric tube) or via the venous catheter. Body fluids, such as gastric juice or urine, are drained through a gastric tube or bladder catheter. After an operation, tubes(drains) are sometimes placed in the wound area to drain secretions and blood so that wound healing is not impaired. These fluids are collected in collection bags or bottles attached to the edge of the bed. Special mattresses on the patient beds are designed to prevent the development of pressure sores (decubiti). Sometimes elaborate special beds are also used for special positioning.

Sometimes a patient has to be isolated because regular bacteriological tests reveal bacteria that are resistant to a large number of antibiotics, i.e. against which these antibiotics are no longer effective. These bacteria are therefore referred to as multi-resistant. If multi-resistant bacteria are detected in patients, it may be necessary to take special hygiene measures to prevent the transmission of these bacteria to other patients. A sign on the room door will inform you of this and the nursing staff will help you to behave appropriately.

We ask you to disinfect your hands regularly. You will find disinfectant dispensers in the visitors' room and in front of each patient room.

Our intensive care unit has regulated work processes. We try to maintain the day-night rhythm for the patient. Doctors examine the patient, determine the therapy and carry out the necessary treatments. They are supported by the nursing staff, who monitor the patient, carry out certain therapeutic measures and record the course of treatment. The nursing staff also support the patient with personal hygiene, mobilization and food intake. Various tasks are also carried out alternately by nursing staff and physicians. However, this routine can be interrupted by acute events. This then requires a change in the work routine and can temporarily give the impression of restlessness.

If necessary, please bring the patient's glasses, dentures or hearing aids with you. You are also welcome to bring your relative hygiene items such as a razor, toothbrush, deodorant or skin lotion. Other personal items and food should only be brought after consultation with the nursing staff.

If you have any questions, you are welcome to call us. For data protection reasons, we are only allowed to provide information to direct relatives. We would ask you to coordinate within the family so that only one person calls and asks for information and then passes it on.

We will inform you immediately if there are any serious changes in your relative's condition.

• You enter the MHH through the main entrance (building K6) and walk through the shopping street to elevator node_A.
• There, turn right until you reach elevator node D.
• Take the passenger elevator to floor 7.

This will take you directly to our front door.


Dear visitors,

Please use the intercom to the right of the door. intercom system Depending on the situation, we will accompany you directly to your relatives or ask you to come to our visitors' room for a brief moment.

Due to the extensive care of patients, it is possible that waiting times arise. We ask for your understanding if you need to be patient in order to visit your relative.

You can store personal items (coats, umbrellas etc.) and valuables in the lockable cupboards in the visitors' lock.

It is important for our patients to receive visits from people close to them. Personal contact with the patient through your visits is an essential part of recovery, so you are very welcome.

However, we would ask you to visit your relative between 14:00 and 19:30 if possible. By prior arrangement, we will of course also try to give you the opportunity to visit in the morning. These times differ from the MHH's regular visiting hours, as the mornings in an intensive care unit are often the time when our patients are not on the ward for special examinations (CT, MRI), when the senior physician rounds take place and when consultations are carried out by other specialist departments. For this reason, we have set our visiting times for the afternoon. It is not advisable to visit on the day of the operation, as anesthesia often lasts into the evening hours.

In the interests of your relative and other patients, we ask you to make arrangements within the family and ensure that no more than two relatives visit at the same time.

The Visiting children and adolescents in an intensive care unit must be carefully considered. Please be sure to discuss their visit with us in advance!

In order to protect the personal sphere of the patient, we will only give telephone information to a person known to us. Unfortunately, other callers cannot receive any information. Please inform each other.

You can reach us around the clock on the above telephone number.

Please be sure to give us your telephone number on your first visit or call. In the event of acute and serious changes in your relative's condition, we will try to reach you.

For reasons of hygiene, flowers and plants are not permitted in the intensive care unit.