Burns : journal of the International Society for Burn Injuries
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To describe the clinical and epidemiological profile of the patients in the Burn Unit of the Hospital Universitario San Vicente de Paúl (HUSVP) de Medellín, Colombia, from 1994-2004. ⋯ There is a continuing improvement in hospital stay, survives burn sizes, with figures comparable to others without access to a tissue bank or skin cultivation.
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Multicenter Study
Use of a new hemicellulose dressing (Veloderm) for the treatment of split-thickness skin graft donor sites A within-patient controlled study.
A multi-centre, open, within-patient controlled study was performed on 23 adult burnt patients to investigate the effectiveness, safety and tolerability of Veloderm in comparison with Algisite M and Jaloskin in split-thickness skin graft donor site care. The areas dressed with Veloderm completely healed within 10-13 days in a significant higher proportion than the other two dressings (47.6% for Veloderm versus 26.3% for Algisite M and 10% for Jaloskin, P<0.03), showing during the whole study less incidence of exudates and of peri-lesional erythema. The aesthetic outcome of the treated lesions after healing was significantly better for Veloderm (P=0.0016). ⋯ Both pain during application or at removal of dressings and local infections were negligible with all treatments. No scars were formed in any skin donor site. In conclusion Veloderm is a safe and effective dressing for the re-epithelialization of the skin graft donor sites: it showed higher activity than the other two compared dressings.
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Burn wounds are characterised by central necrosis surrounded by an area of stasis with compromised perfusion. Secondary aggravation of the burn wound due to ischaemia in the zone of stasis can also result in necrosis. This study aims to improve circulation in the zone of stasis by reducing microthrombus formation and thereby to reduce secondary aggravation. ⋯ Anticoagulation with rNAPc2 improved perfusion of the burn wound. The resultant reduction in the area of the burn led to earlier healing and less scar contracture.
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Burn patients commonly exhibit signs of thrombogenicity, theoretically, puts them at risk for thromboembolic complications. However, the literature is controversial, and the real impact of these complications is yet unknown. We reviewed a series of 3331 burned patients to study the incidence of arterial thrombosis, deep venous thrombosis, and pulmonary thromboembolism. ⋯ The other seven patients had deep venous thrombosis (DVT) of the inferior extremities and three of them presented with pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE). Thrombotic complications represented 3.38% of all deaths in our burn population. Despite the hypercoagulable status of burn patients, thrombotic complication and related mortality continue to have a low impact in this population.
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In the literature no systematic study is available on rescuer burn for victims of burn injury. This is a retrospective study of nine patients (five admitted and four outpatients) were treated in this hospital as rescuer burns in 3.5 years. All nine patients were males. ⋯ The total burn area ranged from 14.5 to 38%. During the period of study, in addition to nine rescuer burns, one patient sustained burn before the rescue attempt due to the victim hugging the rescuer. Based on the study of patterns of burn, these patients were found to have three grades of burn injury: Grade 1--upper extremity involvement only. (A) only one upper extremity involvement, (B) both upper extremities involvement, Grade 2--upper extremity/extremities and face involvement, Grade 3--upper extremity/extremities, face-neck, adjacent chest and lower extremity involvement.