Burns : journal of the International Society for Burn Injuries
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Sustainable effect of skin stretching for burn scar excision: long-term results of a multicenter randomized controlled trial.
Primary wound closure of large defects after burn scar excision may be facilitated by intraoperative stretching of the adjacent skin. In a randomized controlled trial (RCT), the effect of skin stretching for wound closure after scar excision (SS) was compared to scar excision without additional techniques (SE). Short-term results already showed that in the SS group larger scars could be excised in a one-step procedure. In this paper, the long-term scar outcome using reliable and valid measurement tools was evaluated. ⋯ This RCT demonstrates the long-term beneficial and sustainable effect skin stretching for wound closure after scar excision without leading to wider linear scars or more scar hypertrophy.
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Globally in 2004, the incidence of burns severe enough to require medical attention was nearly 11 million people and ranked fourth in all injuries, higher than the combined incidence of tuberculosis and HIV infections. Fortunately, although burns and fires account for over 300,000 deaths each year throughout the world, the vast majority of burns are not fatal. Nonetheless, fire-related burns are also among the leading causes of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) lost in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). ⋯ Even in high-income countries, burns occur disproportionately to racial and ethnic minorities such that socioeconomic status--more than cultural or educational factors--account for most of the increased burn susceptibility. Risk factors for burns include those related to socioeconomic status, race and ethnicity, age, and gender, as well as those factors pertaining to region of residence, intent of injury, and comorbidity. Both the epidemiology and risk factors of burns injuries worldwide are reviewed in this paper.
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Multicenter Study
Epidemiology of children admitted to the Dutch burn centres. Changes in referral influence admittance rates in burn centres.
In the Beverwijk Burn Centre a remarkable rise has been noted in the number of paediatric admissions since 2000. To investigate if this is a national trend and, if so, what may have caused it, a retrospective epidemiological study has been undertaken. ⋯ There has been a shift in paediatric burn care towards a greater volume of admissions in specialized burn care of especially young children with less severe burns. A possible explanation for the increased number of referred children may be the introduction of the EMSB course in 1998, since EMSB guidelines dictate stricter and generally accepted referral criteria.
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Multicenter Study
A survey of current practice patterns in prophylaxis against venous thromboembolism (VTE) and gastrointestinal (GI) ulceration among Canadian burn centers.
Prospective data on efficacy of routine thromboprophylaxis in burn population remains limited. We believe that this uncertainty has lead to diverse management practices across Canada. Similarly, despite data supporting effectiveness of early enteral nutrition (EEN) for gastrointestinal (GI) ulcer prophylaxis, we hypothesize that many burn centers continue to use additional medical prophylaxis. ⋯ With regards to GI ulcer prophylaxis, 62.5% of respondents indicated limiting use of ulcer prophylactic medications to ICU patients. Three (37.5%) centers reported practicing EEN for prophylaxis, 1 of which administered it as the sole modality. 7 of 8 centers used additional pharmacologic prophylaxis, most commonly an H2-blocker, ranitidine. There remains lack of consensus among Canadian burn centers in areas of VTE and GI ulcer prophylaxis, reflecting the limited prospective data in these fields.
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The Alfred pre-hospital fluid isotonic crystalloid resuscitation formula for major burns (body weight (kg)×%TBSA burnt=mls in the first 2 h) was adopted by Ambulance Victoria in 2007 for the early and consistent correction of fluid deficit in major burns patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the associated change in pre-hospital fluid administration. ⋯ The Alfred pre-hospital fluid formula has resulted in patients receiving significantly more fluids early, although still below volumes suggested by the Parkland formula. There were no adverse effects of this increased volume detected over the study period. The Alfred pre-hospital fluid formula appears to be safe and more effective in delivering fluid volumes predicted by the current 'gold standard'.