Burns : journal of the International Society for Burn Injuries
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Scalds and contact burns in children may occur as the result of spillage of hot food and drinks, including instant hot noodles. This study sought to determine the frequency of noodle burns in children and investigate the thermal properties of instant hot noodles. ⋯ Although relatively uncommon in children, instant hot noodle burns often received inadequate first aid. When cooked according to manufacturer's instructions, noodles generally exceeded temperatures sufficient to cause a burn. Consumers and parents need to be aware of the risks of burn when preparing these foods.
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Optimal management of the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) requires prompt recognition, treatment of the underlying cause and the prevention of secondary injury. Ventilator-associated lung injury (VALI) is one of the several iatrogenic factors that can exacerbate lung injury and ARDS. Reduction of VALI by protective low tidal volume ventilation is one of the only interventions with a proven survival benefit in ARDS. ⋯ Prevention of ARDS and VALI by detecting at-risk patients and implementing protective ventilation early is a feasible strategy. Detection of injurious ventilation itself is possible, and potential biological markers of VALI have been investigated. Finally, facilitation of protective ventilation, including techniques such as extracorporeal support, can mitigate VALI.
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This study aims to document the epidemiologic pattern and outcome of burn injuries in the country's first national burn centre. This case series study was conducted over a 2-year period at Burns Care Centre (BCC), Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Islamabad. The study included all burn injury patients who primarily presented to and were managed at the centre. ⋯ A total of 1405 patients (10.58%) were admitted while the remainder 11890 patients (89.43%) were managed on an outdoor basis. The mean hospital stay was 12.16±6.07 days (range 2-73 days). There were 197 deaths among the hospitalised patients constituting a 14% mortality rate for the hospitalised subset of patients, while there was an overall mortality rate of 1.48% for the entire study population.
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Many difficult decisions are faced in the early management of severely burned patient. The decision to amputate an extremity or extremities may be very difficult but reduce morbidity and enhance survival of the patient. In a total of 1144 patients from January 2000 and June 2011, there were 44 patients (3.8%) undergoing amputations of the digits or upper extremity proximal to the wrist or lower extremity above the ankle. ⋯ Majority of the patients had non-viable tissue (79.5%) and nine patients (20.5%) had a septic focus as cause of amputation. The majority of amputations were caused by high-voltage electrical injury. Education and compliance with safety measures, as well as common sense and respect for the potential danger of electricity, are still essential for avoiding these injuries.