Burns : journal of the International Society for Burn Injuries
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The estimated incidence of non-accidental burns varies between 1-25% in children. Distinguishing non-accidental burns from accidental burns can be very complicated but is of utmost importance for prevention of future injuries. Several studies concerning non-accidental burns have been published, however a clear overview is lacking. ⋯ From this review of the literature, the incidence of non-accidental burns in children was 9.7%. Indicators raising a very high suspicion of intentional burns are: location at the posterior trunk, deep partial thickness and full thickness burns and burns caused by hot tap water.
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Vast improvements in the survival rates following burn injuries has led to a greater number of patients living with a wide range of long-term impairments, activity limitations, and participation constraints. Therefore, long-term care is critical in this clinical population and necessitates appropriate rehabilitation strategies to maximize an individual's overall health. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that the extent to which outcomes within the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) framework are improved following 6 months of unsupervised exercise training is influenced by the severity of a burn injury (i.e., percent body surface area injured). ⋯ For outcome variables representing ICF levels of body functions & structure and activity, there were no differences at baseline or improvements made between the groups after training. That said, with the exception of the domain of functional activity (reported 17 ± 34% improvement in the high-level burn cohort, p < 0.05), no changes were revealed in the participation level of ICF indexed by health-related quality of life questionnaires. These findings support the utilization of a 6-month unsupervised exercise training program in the long-term rehabilitation of individuals with burn injuries; that is, improvements in body functions & structure and activity can be achieved with an exercise regimen regardless of the severity of burn injury.
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Severe burn and traumatic brain injuries (TBI) lead to significant mortality, and combined burn-TBI injuries may predispose towards even worse outcomes. The purpose of this study was to investigate the mortality of patients with burn, burn with non-TBI trauma, and combined burn/TBI to determine if combined injury portends a worse outcome. ⋯ This analysis of the NTDB suggests that mortality following burn-related injuries may be higher when burn injury is combined with TBI when compared to burns with other trauma, even after correcting for age, TBSA, and inhalation injury. Further clinical and laboratory research is needed to validate these findings and better understand how to optimize combined TBI and burn injury treatment.
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Measurement of perfusion is an established method to evaluate the depth of burns. However, high accuracy is only achievable >48 h after injury. The aim of the study was to investigate if measurement of blood flow pulsatility, combined with perfusion measurement, can improve early assessment of burn depth using laser speckle contrast imaging (LSCI). ⋯ Measurement of pulsatility improves the accuracy of the assessment of burns with LSCI and makes it possible to predict the need for surgery during day 0-2 after injury with a high accuracy.