Burns : journal of the International Society for Burn Injuries
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Recent studies demonstrate that burn patients are undergoing unnecessary intubations. We sought to determine the clinical criteria that predict intubations with benefit. ⋯ Intubation should be considered for patients displaying the Denver criteria, which includes full thickness facial burns, stridor, respiratory distress, swelling on laryngoscopy, upper airway trauma, altered mentation, hypoxia/hypercarbia, hemodynamic instability, suspected smoke inhalation, and singed facial hair. Patients lacking these criteria should not be intubated.
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Accelerants are flammable substances that may cause explosion when added to existing fires. The relationships between drug abuse and accelerant-related burns are not well elucidated in the literature. Of these burns, a portion is related to drug manufacturing, which have been shown to be associated with increased burn complications. ⋯ Accelerant-related burns cause significant burden to the burn center. A significant proportion of these patients have history of drug abuse.
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To analyse the epidemiology of burns in Finland, a comprehensive study was conducted among all hospitalized burn patients between 1980 and 2010. All patients with burn injury as the main diagnosis, 36305 cases in total, treated in the public and private sectors, were included. Patient data were obtained from the Finnish Hospital Discharge Register (FHDR). ⋯ Injuries were most common during the summer months. This study of all hospitalized burn injuries of one entire country shows similar tendency of diminishing numbers and rising age of burn victims as in other western countries. The FHDR is a reliable source of data in epidemiological studies but precise recording of E- and N-codes in the registry would enable the accurate analysis of types and extent of injury.
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Introduction With more than 10 million of daily users, e-cigarettes encountered a great success. But in the past few years, the number of medical reports of injuries caused by the explosion of e-cigarettes has significantly increased. This article aims at reporting our series and reviewing the literature to propose a new classification based on the mechanisms of injuries related to e-cigarettes that can guide non-specialists and specialists in the management of these patients. ⋯ These different mechanisms suggest specific surgical and non-surgical management. Conclusion Management of injuries sustained from e-cigarettes' explosions should be approached from the standpoint of mechanisms. Different mechanisms could be associated and should be considered in specific management.
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Observational Study
Measuring serum albumin levels at 0 and 24h: Effect on the accuracy of clinical evaluations in the prediction of burn-related mortality.
To evaluate whether measuring serum albumin levels in clinical assessments affects the accuracy of mortality predictions in large burns and to compare patients' serum albumin levels at hour 0(Alb0h) and hour 24(Alb24h) following their admission. ⋯ Measuring serum albumin levels in clinical assessments slightly increases the accuracy of mortality predictions; however, different cut-off points for Alb0h and Alb24h needs to be considered to avoid interpretation errors.