Burns : journal of the International Society for Burn Injuries
-
The concentration of orally administered sparfloxacin (SPFX), an antimicrobial agent, in exudates from the suture wounds beneath occlusive dressings has been measured. Twenty-one patients who received oral therapy with 100 mg of SPFX prior to surgery and 200 mg/day of SPFX after surgery were studied. ⋯ SPFX values were 0.801+/-0.340 microg/ml (mean+/-SD). The results suggest that wound exudates beneath the occlusive dressing have concentrations of SPFX high enough to prevent infection in most cases when administered orally.
-
Lymphedema of an extremity is a rare complication of local burns, due to intact deep lymphatics. Here we present a case of delayed lymphedema of the foot, developing due to deep scarring after local burns.
-
Antibiotic prophylaxis is a routine procedure in management of burns. As such it is a safe practice, yet unusual complications can occur with the use of even safest antibiotics and their emergency management may be life saving. ⋯ Prompt recognition of signs and symptoms of adverse reactions of the drug used and timely management resulted in the successful outcome. A good team effort by surgeon, anaesthetist and the physician was mandatory.
-
Comparative Study
Body habitus as a predictor of burn risk in children: do fat boys still get burned?
Previous research at this institute has demonstrated that heavy-for-age boys are more burn prone than their normal sized counterparts. As this study is now 26 years old, we reexamined the anthropomorphic indices of 372 children admitted to one burn center between January 1991 and July 1997 to determine if this trend was still evident. Male children were over-represented in the < or =5th and >95th percentiles for both height (p < 0.001, p < 0.05) and weight (p < 0.01, p < 0.001). ⋯ Twenty-eight percent of boys at or below the 5th percentile for weight were burned as a result of known or suspected intentional injury, compared to 5.9% of the entire pediatric burn population. (p < 0.0004). 'Fat boys' continue to be over-represented in the pediatric burn population. Additionally, in the more recent time period, boys at or below the 5th percentile for height or weight and girls= < 5th percentile or >95th percentile for height are also over-represented. The increased frequency of burn injury in small-for-age children may reflect an increased risk of burn injury secondary to neglect or nonaccidental trauma.