Burns : journal of the International Society for Burn Injuries
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This study was done to determine the severity of symptoms of depression in burned patients and to assess the effect of burn related factors on depression. ⋯ The high prevalence of symptoms of depression in burned patients suggests that depression should be screened in such patients and treat if indicated.
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Plasma atrial natriuretic peptide levels (proANP (1-98)), a parameter of myocardial dysfunction, have been reported to be increased in critically ill patients with acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ALI/ARDS). The aim of the study was to examine if proANP is a biomarker of ALI/ARDS as assessed by the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score (SOFA Lung ≥2) in burn patients, and how it compares to the corresponding values for age, total body surface area percent (TBSA%) and inhalation injury for mortality prediction. ⋯ ProANP levels, as a biomarker of ALI/ARDS, in critically burn patients correlated with SOFA scoring. The inhalation injury did not lead to increase in proANP values.
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Swine are the preferred animal models to study the effects of burns on dermal wound healing. Various studies have been published in which little emphasis was placed on minimizing burn variability and inconsistency. We developed a novel method to create deep partial thickness burns that are highly consistent. ⋯ Digital image analysis showed inconsistent healing in burns created using boiling water as compared to the boiling PEG:H(2)O solution. Additionally, histological analyses showed that burns created using boiling water were superficial and more variable compared to those created using the boiling PEG:H(2)O solution. With a burn contact time of 20 s, 48.5±5.7% tissue damage was demonstrated at 24 h when the PEG:H(2)O solution was used, whereas only 11.9±1.3% was observed with boiling water.
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Patients with burns utilise intensive medical care and rehabilitation. Deep dermal burns lead to scar contractures. Virtually no published data exists on costs for treatment of acute burns in comparison to burn sequelae. Our purpose was to collect financial data on burn therapy to estimate the socio-economic burden of thermal injuries. ⋯ TBSA multiplied by factor 4600 could serve for cost calculation of severely burned patients. Approximately 0.3 billion EUR in total or 270.000 EUR per patient/year were spent on burn sequelae. Early admission to specialized burn centers is advocated with state-of-the-art treatment to minimize burn sequelae and health care expenses.
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The incidence of diabetes mellitus (DM) in the United States is expected to increase from 8 per 1000 in 2008 to 15 per 1000 by 2050 [20]. As a result, DM patients will constitute a large proportion of Burn Center admissions, with burns typically due to contact burn or scalding. Peripheral vascular disease (PVD) and peripheral neuropathy (PN) are far more common in DM patients, particularly in those with poorly controlled disease, and are often associated with worse outcomes than non-diabetic (nDM) burn patients. This study sought to analyze whether the outcome of isolated leg and foot burns among DM and nDM individuals differed significantly. ⋯ DM patients who suffer isolated burns to the feet or lower extremities have poorer clinical outcomes and more complicated and protracted hospital courses when compared to nDM patients with similar burns. Although diabetics in the current study did not experience larger or more severe burns than nDM patients, they were nearly twice as likely to be admitted to the ICU, spent an average of four days longer in the hospital, and had a higher likelihood of developing renal failure compared to nDM patients.