Burns : journal of the International Society for Burn Injuries
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Demonstration of the safety and effectiveness of the RECELL® System combined with split-thickness meshed autografts for the reduction of donor skin to treat mixed-depth burn injuries.
Split-thickness skin grafts (STSG) are the standard of care (SOC) for burns undergoing autografting but are associated with donor skin site morbidity and limited by the availability of uninjured skin. The RECELL® Autologous Cell Harvesting Device (RECELL® System, or RECELL) was developed for point-of-care preparation and application of a suspension of non-cultured, disaggregated, autologous skin cells, using 1cm2 of the patient's skin to treat up to 80cm2 of excised burn. ⋯ In combination with widely meshed STSG, RECELL is a safe and effective point-of-care treatment for mixed-depth burns without confluent dermis, achieving short- and long-term healing comparable to standard STSG, while significantly decreasing donor skin use.
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Scalds are the most common type of burn injury in children, and the initial evaluation of burn depth is a problem. Early identification of deep dermal areas that need excision and grafting would save unnecessary visits and stays in hospital. Laser speckle contrast imaging (LSCI) shows promise for the evaluation of this type of burn. The aim of this study was to find out whether perfusion measured with LSCI has an influence on the decision for operation, duration of healing and care period, and costs, in children with scalds. ⋯ Lower perfusion values, as measured with LSCI, are associated with longer healing time and longer care period. By earlier identification of burns that will be operated, perfusion measurements may further decrease the duration of care of burns in children with scalds.
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Observational Study
A voltage-based analysis of fluid delivery and outcomes in burn patients with electrical injuries over a 6-year period.
Electrical injuries are associated with significant morbidity for affected patients. While cardiac and surgical interventions have been extensively reported, no practice guidelines or studies have specifically addressed fluid delivery and associated outcomes of patients with electrical injuries. The study objective was to evaluate the differences in fluid delivery in patients with high (≥1000V) and low (<1000V) voltage electrical injuries. ⋯ These results reinforce the importance of assessing electrical injuries and obtaining a voltage to provide patient-specific care, as high voltage electrical injuries receive more fluid than estimated maintenance rates. This study is the first of its kind to characterize fluid given for high and low voltage electrical injuries and effects on patient outcomes.
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To provide an insight into the challenges faced by the closest hospital to the Formosa Fun Coast Dust Explosion (FFCDE) disaster scene, and to examine how the hospital staff adapted to cope with the mass burn casualty (MBC) in their overcrowded emergency department (ED) after the disaster. ⋯ In the hospital closest to the FFCDE disaster scene, it caused an overwhelming demand in an already crowded, beyond-nominal-capacity ED. This study describes how the hospital mobilized and reconfigured response capacity to cope with overload, uncertainty, and time pressure. These findings support improving disaster planning and preparedness for all healthcare entities through organizational support for adaptation and routine practice coping with unexpected scenarios.
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Multicenter Study
The prevalence and development of burn scar contractures: A prospective multicenter cohort study.
The objective of this study was to identify the prevalence and development of after burn joint limitation by scar contracture. ⋯ Persistent joint limitations at 12 months were exclusively present in joints that needed skin grafting for rapid wound closure. The upper part of the body was more prone to contracture formation than the lower part, from which the shoulder was most often involved. More than half of the limited range of motion seen in the acute phase, resolved in the long term. The need for reconstructive surgery was less than expected.