Burns : journal of the International Society for Burn Injuries
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Burn patients have prolonged derangements in metabolic, endocrine, cardiac and psychosocial systems, potentially impacting on their cardiovascular health. There are no studies on the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) after-burn. The aim of our study was to record lipid values and evaluate CVD risk in adult burn survivors. ⋯ Adult burn survivors had alterations in lipid profile proportional to TBSA, which could be modified by exercise, and no increase in overall formally predicted CVD risk in this cross sectional study.
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Severe frostbite can result in devastating injuries leading to significant morbidity and loss of function from distal extremity amputation. The modern day management approach to frostbite injuries is evolving from a historically very conservative approach to the increasingly reported use of early interventional angiography and fibrinolysis with tPA. The aim of this study was to evaluate the results of our frostbite treatment protocol introduced 3 years ago. ⋯ Prompt referral to a facility where interventional radiology and 24/7 laboratory services are available, and the combined use of tPA and iloprost, may improve outcome after severe frostbite.
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Klebsiella pneumoniae is one of the predominant pathogens in burn wound infections, and prevalence of multidrug resistant strains has further complicated the situation. An increased interest in phage therapy as a means of combating infection has been accruing in recent years. In order to overcome the drawbacks associated with phage therapy, the present study was conducted to evaluate the potential of liposomes as a delivery vehicle for phage in the treatment of burn wound infection. ⋯ The results showed the potential of liposome entrapped phage cocktail for treating Klebsiella pneumoniae mediated infections. Thus, this strategy can serve as an effective approach for treating Klebsiella mediated burn wound infections in individuals who do not respond to conventional antibiotic therapy.
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The efficient use of operating theatres is important to insure optimum cost-benefit for the hospital. We used the emergency Burns theatre as a model to assess theatre efficiency at our institution. ⋯ Our study highlights areas where theatre efficiency can be improved. We suggest various strategies to improve this that may be applied universally.
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Keloids are abnormal fibroproliferative scars that pose a significant challenge to patients and clinicians. The molecular basis for keloid formation remains incompletely understood, and currently no universally effective treatments exist. It is well recognized that keloids are more prevalent in populations with darkly pigmented skin, such as African Americans, but the basis for the link between skin color and keloid risk is not known. ⋯ Further, the percentage of epidermal cells displaying nuclear VDR localization was significantly lower in keloid scars compared with normal skin samples. Interestingly, analysis of VDR-positive nuclei among different normal skin samples showed a significant reduction in nuclear localization in epidermis of black donors compared with white donors. The results suggest that VDR may play a role in keloid pathology, and hint at a possible role for VDR in the increased susceptibility to keloid scarring in individuals with darkly pigmented skin.