Burns : journal of the International Society for Burn Injuries
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An elevated procoagulant activity observed in trauma patients is, in part, related to tissue factor (TF) located on blood cells and microparticles. However, analysis of trauma patient plasma indicates that there are other contributor(s) to the procoagulant activity. We hypothesize that factor (F)XIa and FIXa are responsible for an additional procoagulant activity in burn patients. ⋯ For the first time reported, the majority of plasma samples from burn patients have active FXIa and FIXa, with a significant fraction of them having active TF. The concentration of all three proteins varies in a wide range.
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The effect of presenting hypertension is poorly studied in combat casualties. We hypothesized that elevated mean arterial pressure (MAP) on presentation to combat hospitals would be associated with poor outcomes. ⋯ III.
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Comparative Study
Comparison of Laser Doppler Imaging (LDI) and clinical assessment in differentiating between superficial and deep partial thickness burn wounds.
To compare the accuracy of Laser Doppler Imaging (LDI) and clinical assessment in differentiating between superficial and deep partial thickness burns to decide whether early tangential excision and grafting or conservative management should be employed to optimize burn and patient management. ⋯ Predictive accuracy of LDI was found to be better than clinical assessment in the prediction of wound healing, the gold standard for wound healing being 21 days. As such it can prove to be a reliable and viable cost effective alternative per se to clinical assessment.
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Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a major cause of illness and death in the United States, and diabetic patients are at increased risk for burn injury. We therefore sought to examine the impact of pre-existing DM on the risk of inpatient mortality and hospital acquired infections (HAI) among burn patients. ⋯ Pre-existing DM significantly increases the risk of developing an HAI in patients following burn injury, but does not significantly impact the risk of inpatient mortality. Further understanding of the immune modulatory mechanism of burn injury and DM is imperative to better attenuate the acquisition of HAIs.
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Human adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ASCs) have potential utility as modulators of the regeneration of tissue that is inflamed or scarred secondary to injuries such as burns or trauma. However, the effect of ASCs on one particular type of scarring, keloidal disease, remains unknown. The absence of an optimal model for investigation has hindered the development of an effective therapy using ASCs for keloids. ⋯ These results suggest that ASCs are associated with the inhibition of fibrosis in keloids by a paracrine effect. This phenomenon may have utility as a therapeutic approach in the clinical environment.