Burns : journal of the International Society for Burn Injuries
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The study was carried out to analyze the factors influencing the elevated serum procalcitonin (PCT) levels during the early phase of extensive burn, and to investigate its potential for sepsis prediction and prognosis. Clinical data of 324 patients with extensive burns treated at our department from July 2014 to December 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. Approximately half of the patients (50.93%) exhibited elevated serum PCT concentrations during the early phase, and elevated PCT levels may not be caused by infections. ⋯ Patient age, burn index, APACHE-II score at admission, early-phase PCT level, and sepsis occurrence were risk factors for mortality in extensive-burn patients. During the early phase, approximately 50.93% of the extensive-burn patients exhibited elevated PCT levels, which were associated with non-infectious factors. As elevated PCT level during the early phase predicted sepsis occurrence within 60 days of injury and was significantly associated with patient mortality, it might be a potential burn severity indicator during the early phase of burn injury.
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Burn scar contractures limit range of motion (ROM) of joints and have substantial impact on disability and the quality of life (QoL) of patients, particularly in a Low- and Middle-Income Country (LMIC) setting. Studies on the long-term outcome are lacking globally; this study describes the long-term impact of contracture release surgery performed in an LMIC. ⋯ Contracture release surgery performed in an LMIC significantly improved functional ROM, disability and QoL. Results showed that regaining a functional joint is associated with less disability and higher QoL.