Burns : journal of the International Society for Burn Injuries
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Utility of palm and hand surface area in approximating burn extent in Burundian adults and children.
The use of palm and hand surface areas to approximate the extent of burns is as widespread as it is facile. However, direct comparison of measured palm and hand surface areas to total body surface areas (TBSA) have demonstrated variable accuracy in different patient populations. We measured the palm and hand surface areas of 353 Burundian adults and children, including 23 underweight children and compared those values with 0.5% and 1%, respectively, of the calculated TBSA via Mosteller, Dubois, and Haycock formulae. ⋯ For 253 Burundian children, the mean palm and hand surface are represented 0.44% and 0.86% TBSA, respectively. Subgroup analysis of underweight children (BMI < 18.5 or Z-score ≤-2 weight for height) revealed values of 0.45% and 0.88% for palm and hand areas. Our data indicate that using values of 0.5% TBSA for the palm and/or 1% TBSA for the hand overestimates the actual burn extent and would be improved with a correction factor for Burundian patients.
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Camp "Sababa" operates in Israel through the Burn Advocate Network of New Jersey, to help children with burn injuries cope with consequences of injury. The study assessed adolescents' perceptions of their participation in the camp, and its effect on their self-esteem and quality of life. ⋯ The positive results suggest that burn camps should be part of the rehabilitation process of adolescents with burn injury, with emphasis on challenging, age-appropriate activities, and peer group participation.