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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Hypertrophic scar (HS) is a pathological scar that often occurs in burn patients. Its histology is characterized by the excessive proliferation of fibroblasts (FB) and excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM). Inhibition of proliferation and activation of FB is essential for the treatment of HS. ⋯ Our data show that the PP7-induced HSFs cell apoptosis was mainly due to the enhanced expression of apoptotic genes (Bax, Caspase-3, Caspase-9) and decreased expression of Bcl-2. Moreover, PP7 treatment also enhances the expression of JNK, but that of extracellular protein kinases (ERK) was reduced, and induces apoptosis through ERK/JNK pathways. Thus, PP7 can be used as a drug to prevent the formation of HS.
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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.