Burns : journal of the International Society for Burn Injuries
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Three hundred and ninety-four children were admitted to the burn centre in Brno over a 3-year period. The overall incidence was 31 children per 100,000 children aged 0-14 years. The majority of patients were aged 1-3 years and almost 80 per cent of them were scalded. ⋯ Sixty-six per cent of the children had minor burns. Four children died of the consequences of burns during the period studied. Social and economic factors had a significant influence on the incidence of childhood burns.
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Exposure of the skin to nitrous oxide, a liquified gas stored under pressure in a cylinder, can occur in anaesthesiologists and in those involved in recreational misuse of the gas. A case is reported of a man who presented to the emergency department after sniffing nitrous oxide and sustaining frostbite injury to his left cheek. Conservative management of this injury allowed spontaneous separation of the necrotic tissue and healing of the granulating wound by contraction.
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Facial burns are a frequent component of the presentation of victims who have sustained thermal trauma, reportedly occurring in 20 per cent of burn patients. Even apparently 'f2p4r' facial injuries might well be associated with significant ocular trauma. A retrospective review of 865 patients admitted to our burn centre showed 22 per cent (192) with facial burns. ⋯ The aetiology and spectrum of ocular injuries is reviewed with lid burns and subsequent lid contractures, accounting for over 50 per cent of ocular complications. Serious ocular pathology necessitating enucleation occurred in only two patients. The difficulties encountered in performing a complete ophthalmological examination in the presence of facial burns are presented in conjunction with a recommended therapeutic plan.
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A case of a chemical burn following cutaneous exposure to vinylpyridine is presented. This unusual injury was distinguished by the delay in onset of pain and erythema, followed by gradual resolution leaving patchy skin discolouration. The properties of vinylpyridine are outlined. This case illustrates the dangers of long-term chemical storage and the importance of proper disposal.
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The case history of a 20-year-old male patient who sustained an 85 per cent total body surface area alkali burn to his skin, after falling into a caustic lime pit, is reported. Considerable problems regarding the correct estimate of burn wound depth, predominant location of the deepest burn on the posterior half of the body, appropriate wound coverage, and lack of sufficient skin graft donor sites required a complex treatment plan. ⋯ Human allografts and Biobrane were used extensively to achieve temporary wound closure, to provide mechanical protection of freshly autografted wounds, and to prevent desiccation following application of cultured epidermal autografts on to debrided wounds and split thickness skin grafted donor sites. The case illustrates a number of problems associated with the evaluation and treatment of patients suffering severe alkali burns, and demonstrates the implementation of both established and evolving technologies in the management of these injuries.