Objective To analyze the effect of vacuum sealing drainage on inflammatory factor levels in burn patients. Methods A total of 80 burn patients admitted to Jiangsu Province (Suqian) Hospital from January 2023 to January 2025 were selected, and they were divided into the control group and the observation group by the random number table method, with 40 patients in each group. The control group received conventional dressing change treatment, and the observation group received vacuum sealing drainage. The inflammatory factor levels, pain degree, limb function, surgical indicators, wound recovery and complication rate were compared between the two groups. Results The levels of TNF-α, CRP and IL-6 in the observation group after treatment were lower than those in the control group (P <0.05). The VAS score of the observation group after treatment was lower than that of the control group, and the AO-FAS score was higher than that of the control group (P <0.05). The surgical indicators of the observation group were better than those of the control group (P <0.05). The scores of wound color, granulation tissue and softness in the observation group after treatment were lower than those in the control group (P <0.05). The incidence of complications in the observation group (5.00%) was lower than that in the control group (22.50%) (P <0.05). Conclusion The application of vacuum sealing drainage in burn patients can effectively reduce inflammatory factor levels, demonstrating a definite therapeutic effect. It can alleviate pain, promote wound and limb function recovery, and reduce the incidence of complications after treatment.