Burns : journal of the International Society for Burn Injuries
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Observational Study
Factors associated with adherence to follow-up care after burn injuries.
In South Africa, burns result in excessive morbidity which can be mitigated via follow-up treatments. This study evaluated factors associated with care retention for after burn injuries. ⋯ High follow up attrition suggests the need for enhanced engagement in the high-risk burn population studied, and the identified factors could be leveraged in such programming.
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While international burn injury guidelines discourage prophylactic antibiotics on admission, current surgery guidelines focusing on antimicrobial prophylaxis place thermal injury under a general plastics procedure umbrella, and require significant evidential extrapolation. The purpose of this study was to determine if withholding systemic antibiotics in patients with <20% total body surface area (TBSA) burns without invasive wound infections and undergo wound excision is non-inferior to patients that receive preoperative antibiotics. Success was defined as lack of graft loss, bacteremia, or surgical site infection. ⋯ Withholding preoperative antibiotics was non-inferior with a percent difference of 2.6 (95% CI; -10.4, 15.6). Patients that did not receive antibiotics were no more likely to incur infection-related complications. In patients with <20% TBSA burns and without active wound infections, withholding preoperative systemic antibiotics will preserve unneeded antimicrobial exposure without increasing risk of infection-related complications.
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We aimed to analyze the impact of the Affordable Care Act's Medicaid Expansion on clinical outcomes and patient disposition after burn injury. We hypothesized that increased insurance coverage results in improved outcomes and higher rates of discharge to inpatient rehabilitation. ⋯ Our study corroborates prior findings of increased insurance coverage since Medicaid expansion. Increased insurance coverage is associated with higher rates of discharge to inpatient rehabilitation programs after burn injury.
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Trauma is the leading cause of mortality in children. Burn injury involves intensive resources, especially in pediatric patients. We hypothesized that among pediatric trauma patients, combined burn-trauma (BT) patients have increased length of stay (LOS) and mortality compared to trauma-only (T) patients. ⋯ Pediatric BT patients had twice the LOS compared to a matched group of pediatric T patients. There was no difference between the cohorts in ICU LOS, complications or mortality rate. When evaluating risk-stratified quality metrics such as LOS, concomitant burn injury should be incorporated.