Burns : journal of the International Society for Burn Injuries
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Severely burned patients often suffer white blood cell and platelet drop following the injury. Though coagulopathy after burn injury have been reported, the association between leukopenia or thrombopenia and mortality is still unrevealed. To determine whether early drastic drops in white blood cells (WBCs) and platelets following injury can be prognostic markers in patients with major burns. ⋯ Early thrombopenia and lymphopenia were independent risk factors for 60-day mortality, and prolonged thrombopenia and monocytopenia were independent risk factors for mortality. These findings might shed light on mechanisms of immune response following severe burns.
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Nearly 500 people were injured in the dust explosion at the Formosa Fun Coast water park in 2015, making it the accident with the largest number of burn victims in Taiwan. Severe burn injuries are often accompanied by long-term impacts on physical, psychological, social, occupational, and aesthetic wellness. Survivors usually require several years or even decades of medical rehabilitation and psychological counseling, which inevitably affect their quality of life (QoL). ⋯ Survivors with more severe symptoms had worse QoL and a higher risk of PTSD. The burn accident affected not only the injured individuals but also their entire families. In order to help injured individuals reintegrate into society and maintain better overall health, our study suggested providing family-based healthcare plans and necessary follow-up visits in a timely manner.
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Thermal skin burns cause local injury as well as triggers acute systemic inflammation response where the imbalance between oxidative and antioxidative system occurs. As an alternative treatment, various medicinal herbs are used to treat burn injuries in many countries. In this study, the possible protective role of oral or topical Myrtle (Myrtus communis L.) treatment against burn-induced damage was investigated. ⋯ Myrtle treatment reversed all these biochemical indices except topical Myrtle treated group's nitric oxide level, as well as histopathological alterations, which were induced by thermal trauma. Both oral and topical Myrtle extract treatment was found to have protective role in the burn induced oxidative injury, which may be attributed to the potential antioxidant effect of Myrtle. As a conclusion, Myrtle significantly diminishes burn-induced damage in skin.