Burns : journal of the International Society for Burn Injuries
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Hot water bottles are frequently used in the community as a source of warmth, and to alleviate a number of medical symptoms. In Australia it is believed that over 500,000 water bottles are sold annually (Whittam et al., 2010). This simple treatment is known to result in significant burns and has led to mandatory labeling requirements on hot water bottles in Australia. Despite this, few published studies have documented the incidence and nature of burns sustained through their use. This study aimed to assess the incidence, causation and outcome of hot water bottle burns presenting to a major burn trauma unit in Sydney (Australia). ⋯ Hot water bottles are a source of common and preventable burns in the community, with women being more at risk than men. Hot water bottles may retain harmful levels of heat over an extended period of time. Additional labeling requirements pertaining to the longevity of hot water bottles and their use among people especially at risk of burns (i.e. children, the elderly, patients who have undergone recent surgery and/or those with conditions associated with sensory impairment) may further reduce the incidence and severity of hot water bottle burns in the community.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Prospective, randomised controlled trial comparing Versajet™ hydrosurgery and conventional debridement of partial thickness paediatric burns.
Conventional surgical debridement of burn wounds consists of tangential excision of eschar using a knife or dermabrasion until viable dermis or punctate bleeding occurs. The Versajet™ (Smith and Nephew, St. Petersburg, FL, USA) hydrosurgery system has also been advocated for burn wound debridement, with the suggestion that enhanced preservation of dermal tissue might reduce subsequent scarring. ⋯ These findings suggest that Versajet™ hydrosurgery appears a more precise method of burn wound debridement. Although dermal preservation may be a factor in reducing subsequent hypertrophic scarring, there were no significant differences found between scarring at 3 or 6 months after-injury.
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Historical Article
The Birmingham Burn Centre archive: A photographic history of post-war burn care in the United Kingdom.
The Medical Research Council Burns and Industrial Injuries Unit at the Birmingham Accident Hospital pioneered civilian burn care and research in the United Kingdom during the post-war years. A photographic archive has been discovered that documents this period from 1945 to 1975. The aim of this project was to sort, digitize and archive the images in a secure format for future reference. ⋯ Many novel surgical, nursing, dressing and rehabilitation strategies are documented and discussed. We have chosen to report part of the archive under the sections of (1) aseptic and antimicrobial burn care; (2) burn excision and wound closure; (3) rehabilitation, reconstruction and long-term outcomes; (4) accident prevention; and (5) response to a major burns incident. The Birmingham collection gives us a valuable insight into the approach to civilian burn care in the post-war years, and we present a case from the archive to the modern day, the longest clinical photographic follow-up to date.
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Chemical burns account for a small proportion of total burns in children, but may require specific first aid and different modes of prevention. ⋯ Chemical burns remain infrequent but potentially preventable. These burns mainly occur in the domestic setting due to non-intentional exposure of household chemicals in children <10, and due to deliberate self-harm in children ≥10. The use of child-resistant packaging, similar to that used for medications, and improved parental practices could help decrease the incidence of burns in children <10.
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Infections caused by multidrug resistant bacteria act as a risk factor for mortality in burns patients. So keeping in view the crucial importance of reliable therapeutic decisions of multidrug resistance bacteria and role of hospital environment in bacteria colonization, our study is based on the evaluation of distribution of Pseudomonas sp. and Bacillus sp. in burn patients and burn ward environment. ⋯ The major finding of our study is the predominance of B. cereus followed by P. aeruginosa in burn patients of Pt. B.D. Sharma University of Health Sciences, Rohtak, Haryana. While considering the role of hospital environment, no direct role of environmental isolates was observed in transfer of bacterial infection.