• Scott B Davidson, Paul A Blostein, Jon Walsh, Sheldon B Maltz, Alain Elian, and Sheri L VandenBerg.
• Trauma, Burn, and Surgical Critical Care Program, Bronson Methodist Hospital, Kalamazoo, MI, USA. davidsos@bronsonhg.org
• Burns. 2013 Feb 1;39(1):119-25.

PurposeLegislation enacted to curb methamphetamine production has only temporarily succeeded. Experiencing a recent increase in burns as a result of the new one-pot method, we compared methamphetamine related burn patients who utilized the previous anhydrous ammonia method of production to current patients who largely used the new one-pot method of production.Basic ProceduresPatients who were burned as a result of methamphetamine production were retrospectively reviewed. Comparisons were made including demographics, length of stay, injury severity score, hospital charges, total body surface area burned, inhalation injury, intubation, ventilator days, toxicology, fluid volumes, surgeries and complications.Main FindingsEighteen current study patients (88.9% male) were compared to twenty-nine (86.2% male) previous study patients. The groups were similar in age, pattern of burn injury and intubation. Total body surface area burned, injury severity score, inhalation injuries, and ventilator days were not significantly increased in the current study. Longer length of stay and greater hospital charges were incurred by the current group. Burn surgeries per patient were significantly increased in the current group.Principal ConclusionsA new one-pot method has emerged despite legislative attempts to curtail methamphetamine production, and burns have also increased. The reason for more extensive burn surgeries in the current METH related burn patients remains enigmatic. Severity of injury and cost to society remain high.Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.

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