Burns : journal of the International Society for Burn Injuries
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Severe thermal injuries to the external ear, in most cases, lead to a total destruction of the pinna. Total ear reconstruction in such cases of burns is one of the most difficult problems faced by a plastic surgeon. This is because of the paucity and poor quality of the skin available in the auricular region. ⋯ A temporoparietal fascial flap was the cover of choice if local skin was not healthy. During the past eight years, seventy six cases of total ear reconstruction were done for post burn ear deformities. The technique and results are presented here.
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Comparative Study
A profile of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection in the burn center of the Sultanate of Oman.
A retrospective study of patterns of infection in 168 patients admitted during 1995 and 1996 in the burns-unit of Khoula hospital at Muscat, Oman was performed. Out of 819 isolates positive for pathogenic bacterial culture, there were 326 (39.8%) isolates positive for methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection. Incidence of MRSA infection was marginally more than that of Pseudomonas aeroginosa. ⋯ Vancomycin was the antibiotic to which most MRSA cultures were susceptible, but partial resistance was reported due to very low susceptibility observed in 1.4% of the isolates in 1995 and 1.1% of the isolates in 1996. The control measures being practiced in the burns-unit of Khoula Hospital, especially mechanical cleaning and chemical disinfection of all surfaces, are discussed in detail. This paper emphasizes the need for preventive measures against MRSA infection in the burns-unit.
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Home oxygen therapy has been used to provide symptomatic relief of breathlessness for more than 20 yr. Continuous low-flow oxygen can improve exercise tolerance and decrease pulmonary hypertension in patients suffering from chronic obstructive airway disease. The majority of these patients have been long-time smokers. ⋯ Two patients required split-thickness skin grafting. Whether chronically ill patients on domiciliary oxygen who continue to smoke covertly are amenable to medical advice to abandon this habit is questionable. A more aggressive education about the explosive nature of their activity should help to prevent them from using tobacco and oxygen at the same time.
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Comparative Study
"Tandir": an old and well known cause of burn injury in the Middle East.
Analysis of an unusual cause of burn injury together with assessment of long-term end results was carried out. The 'tandir' is a kind of oven buried underground and resembles a big hole full of embers and surrounded with sheet iron. Most of the burn victims were children. 68 major burn cases have been admitted to our units in a 3 year period, 32 (47%) of them due to a 'tandir'. In most of the cases burn injuries included the head and both hands as a result of the specific characteristics of the 'tandir'.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
A silicone-coated nylon dressing reduces healing time in burned paediatric patients in comparison with standard sulfadiazine treatment: a prospective randomized trial.
Mepitel is a new grid like silicone coated nylon dressing containing no additional biological compounds. We describe a prospective randomized pilot study comparing Mepitel to the standard silver sulfadiazine cream (Flamazine) dressing for the topical treatment of paediatric burns. Seventy-six children presenting within 24 h of injury with a non previously treated burn were randomly assigned to Mepitel treatment (group M) or Flamazine treatment (group F). ⋯ Mepitel has proved to be an easy-to-remove dressing, adhering only to intact skin. The faster healing time found in the Mepitel group may be related to a direct effect of silicone on epithelial growth or to a decrease in surface-cell damage compared to the silver sulfadiazine group. This attractive product will be further assessed on a larger scale trial to confirm our observations.