Burns : journal of the International Society for Burn Injuries
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Multicenter Study
Outcomes that matter most to burn patients: A national multicentre survey study in the Netherlands.
The use of patient-reported outcomes to improve burn care increases. Little is known on burn patients' views on what outcomes are most important, and about preferences regarding online Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs). Therefore, this study assessed what outcomes matter most to patients, and gained insights into patient preferences towards the use of online PROMs. ⋯ Not having pain and good wound healing were considered very important during the whole recovery of burns; in addition, physical functioning at pre-injury level, being independent, and taking care of yourself were deemed very important in the short and long-term. These outcomes are recommended to be used in burn care and research, although careful selection of outcomes remains crucial as patients prefer online questionnaires up to 15 minutes.
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Heterotopic ossification (HO), or ectopic bone formation in soft tissue, is a not so rare and poorly understood debilitating sequela of burn injury. Individuals developing HO following burn injuries to their hands often experience reductions in mobility, significant contractures, and joint pain. This study identifies demographic characteristics of individuals who develop HO and compares their physical and psychosocial outcomes to the general burn population. ⋯ 2b TYPE OF STUDY: Symptom Prevalence Study.
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Burn injuries are a significant contributor to the burden of diseases. The management of burns at specialised burn centres has been shown to improve survival. However, in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) major burns are managed at non-specialised burn centres due to resource constraints. There is insufficient data on survival from treatment at non-specialised burn centres in LMICs. This study aimed to compare the outcomes of burns treatment between a specialised burn centre and five non-specialised centres. ⋯ Although it appears that the survival of burn patients managed at non-specialised centres in a middle-income country is comparable to those managed at specialised burn centres, there is uncounted bias in our survival data. Hence, a change in practice is not advocated. However, due to resource constraint specialised burn centres in addition to managing major burns should provide training and support to the non-specialised centres.
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Improvement in burn injury data collections and the quality of databanks has allowed meaningful study of the epidemiologic trends in burn care. The study assessed factors associated with disposition of burn injury patients from emergency department accounting for pre-hospital care and emergency care. ⋯ The study provides insight into emergency burn care and associated factors that influenced outcomes for patients with burn injuries.
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Burn pain is known as the most difficult type of pain to manage. In order to improve patient outcomes, nurses must be aware of burn pain and the conditions that affect it. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of burn-specific pain anxiety on pain experienced by adult outpatients with burns during burn wound care. ⋯ In this study, it was found that burn-specific pain anxiety affects the pain experienced during burn wound care in adults receiving outpatient treatment. Hence, nurses should provide effective pain management to patients with burn injuries. In addition, the inclusion of anxiety-reducing practices in the care plans of such patients is recommended, and further studies are needed to identify and meet the care needs of patients with severe burns.