Welcome to the very first installment of The SBAR Sessions on The Space Nurse Podcast, where I sit down with fellow nursing experts to think through real-world clinical challenges and brainstorm how we can close the gap in aerospace medicine

In this episode of The Space Nurse Podcast, we are tackling one of the most complex clinical challenges in aerospace medicine: managing burn trauma. What happens when the standard terrestrial protocol of cooling a burn with running water is impossible because water simply floats?

Joining the show is Kristina Stiles, a former burns and plastic surgery nurse specialist with 23 years of critical care experience and the founding chair of the British Burn Association's Pre-hospital Special Interest Group. Kristina is currently pursuing her PhD at the University of Birmingham, focusing on the "burn care gap"—the critical window of time between an injury occurring and the patient receiving professional medical attention.

Together, we dive into the stark realities of burn trauma and explore how we can translate Earth-based first aid into effective clinical protocols for the microgravity environment.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The Burn Care Gap: We explore the critical window of time immediately following a burn, addressing the severe lack of public and professional knowledge regarding appropriate first aid.

• The Terrestrial Gold Standard: A breakdown of the "Remove, Cool, Cover, Call" protocol, emphasizing why cooling a burn with running water for at least 20 minutes is absolutely essential for patient outcomes.

• Hazards in Microgravity: How fire behaves differently in space—crawling on surfaces and forming spherical flames—and why traditional cooling is impossible when water forms floating globules instead of flowing.

• Off-Grid Solutions: We brainstorm potential alternatives for austere and space environments, from utilizing hydrogel dressings and cooling sleeves to applying synthetic skin substitutes.

• The Nursing Imperative: A look at why clinical boots-on-the-ground experience is vital, and why nurses need to be at the table when aerospace medical protocols and safety standards are being designed.

Whether you're a terrestrial first responder, an aerospace engineer, or a fellow space medicine enthusiast, this conversation highlights exactly why clinical expertise is essential for human survival in the final frontier.

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