Burns : journal of the International Society for Burn Injuries
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Multicenter Study
Fluid management in burn patients: results from a European survey-more questions than answers.
Many strategies were proposed for fluid management in burn patients with different composition containing saline solution, colloids, or plasma. The actual clinical use of volume replacement regimen in burn patients in Europe was analysed by an international survey. A total of 187 questionnaires consisting of 20 multiple-choice questions were sent to 187 burn units listed by the European Burn Association. ⋯ It is concluded that the kind of volume therapy differs widely among European burn units. This survey supported that no generally accepted volume replacement strategy in burn patients exists. New results, e.g. importance of goal-directed therapy or data concerning use of albumin in the critically ill, have not yet influenced strategies of volume replacement in the burn patient.
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The paediatric burn population requiring intensive care in Finland has never been examined before. The aim of this study was firstly to determine the aetiology, incidence and prognosis of paediatric burns requiring intensive care in Finland and secondly to compare the possible differences between the two national burn centres. ⋯ There were some small differences between the two burn centres in treatment policies. Most patients were male and most common aetiology was scald. The prognosis of these patients was excellent with no mortality.
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Early efforts to predict death following severe burns focused on age and burn size; more recent work incorporated inhalation injury and pneumonia. Gender, co-morbid illness, and co-existent trauma have been implicated in burn mortality but have rarely been incorporated into predictive models. ⋯ The results of this study suggest that a comprehensive predictive model of burn mortality incorporating certain variables not previously considered in other models provides superior predictive ability.