Burns : journal of the International Society for Burn Injuries
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To investigate the geographic distribution and temporal trends of burn admissions in an Australian setting. ⋯ The Mid-West and Wheatbelt rural regions were found to have the highest risk of burn admissions raising concerns about farming-related injury. Safety awareness and burn prevention strategies need to be continued, with specific attention to these high risk areas, to reduce burn admissions in Western Australia.
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Necrotizing fasciitis (NF) is a life-threatening infection requiring extensive debridement that may necessitate amputation. Free tissue transfer (FTT) is an option for reconstruction in difficult cases. Currently, only case reports have described FTT in the setting of NF, and comprehensive evidence on flap outcomes is lacking. The present study characterizes outcomes in patients with FTT following NF. ⋯ This study demonstrates that FTT provides a promising reconstructive option in the setting of NF without adversely affecting patient outcome.
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There is significant nationwide interest in transitioning new and new-to-specialty nurses into practice, especially in burn care. Lack of a structured transition program in our Burn Center was recognized as a contributing factor for nursing dissatisfaction and increased turnover compared to other hospital units. Employee evaluations exposed a need for more didactic instruction, hands-on learning, and preceptor support. The goal of this project was to implement an evidence-based transition to practice program specific to the burn specialty. ⋯ An evidence-based team practice approach toward preceptorship created a standardized, comprehensive and flexible precepting program to assist and support transition to specialty burn practice for experienced nurses. Use of objective metrics enabled ongoing assessment and made training adaptable, individualized, and cost effective. Application of this standardized approach across our organization may improve consistency for all transitions in practice specialty.
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Observational Study
Procalcitonin for the early diagnosis of sepsis in burn patients: A retrospective study.
The gold standard for sepsis diagnosis in burn patient still relies on microbiological cultures, which take 48-72h to provide results, delaying the start of antimicrobial therapy. Thus, biomarkers allowing an earlier sepsis diagnosis in burn patients are needed. ⋯ Procalcitonin showed to be the best of the biomarkers studied for an early diagnosis of sepsis. Its use should be considered in antimicrobial stewardship programs in Burn Units.
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This study assessed patient-perceived levels of scar assessment and burn-specific quality of life (QOL) in Korean burn patients admitted to burn care centers and identified differences in scar assessment and QOL based on various patient characteristics. ⋯ The results show that burn subjects experience the most difficulties with their work and the treatment regimen. Subjects with severe burn and visible scarring have a reduced QOL and a poor scar status. Scar management intervention may improve QOL of burn patients especially those with severe burn and visible scars. Further studies are warranted to evaluate the relationship between scar assessment and QOL.