539 If Seeing Was Believing - A Retrospective Analysis of Potential Reduced Treatment Delays with a Novel Burn Wound Assessment Device.

2021 ◽  
Vol 42 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S117-S118
Author(s):  
Henry B Huson ◽  
Herbert Phelan ◽  
David G’Sell ◽  
Sydney Smith ◽  
Jeffrey E Carter
Keyword(s):  
Length Of Stay ◽  
Total Body Surface Area ◽  
Machine Learning Algorithms ◽  
Order Entry ◽  
Burn Wound ◽  
Imaging Device ◽  
Treatment Delays ◽  
Burn Care ◽  
Wound Assessment ◽  
Electronic Order

Abstract Introduction Burn care (BC) remains a highly specialized and resource intensive specialty with only 2% of hospitals featuring a burn center and less than 1% of graduating general surgery and plastic surgery residents pursing a burn fellowship each year. Access to specialized care is further complicated by burn wound assessment (BWA) which is commonly performed visually without adjunctive devices. To help clinicians make more accurate assessments and potentially reduce delays in transfer or treatment, a new non-invasive imaging device for BWA is being developed using visible and non-visible wavelengths of light with machine learning algorithms. Our goal was to assess the potential reduced treatment delay (RTD) and associated financial savings by implementing such a device using our burn center’s historical data. Methods The study was an IRB-approved, retrospective review of admissions from 07/01/2018 through 06/30/2019. Inclusion criteria: thermal, chemical, contact, or electrical mechanism of injury, >15 years of age requiring excision, and length of stay >72 hours. Inclusion data included: presence/absence of concomitant trauma, day of surgery, day of admission, day of electronic order entry for case request, and length of stay per percent total body surface area (LOS%TBSA). RTD was defined starting >48 hours after injury daily until electronic order entry for surgical case request. Reduced costs were calculated per day from prior studies ranging $3,000 to $5,100/day. Results A total of 109 patients were included. 29 patients had case requests placed within 48 hours of admission. Of the remaining 80 patients, a potential of 398 days would have been saved had a novel BWA adjunctive imaging devices aided surgeon to requests earlier surgical intervention. Overall savings from reduced length of stay range from $1,194,000 to $2,029,800 dollars. Conclusions Our study demonstrates that should a BWA technology with accuracy 48 hours after injury be developed, even burn centers with 24-hour access to operating rooms can reduce treatment delays. The study does not look at additional cost savings offered by reduced emergent transfers or admissions which offer additional intrigue and promise.

674 Machine Learning and Automation in Burn Care: A Systematic Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 42 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S193-S193
Author(s):  
Samantha Huang ◽  
Justin Dang ◽  
Clifford C Sheckter ◽  
Haig A Yenikomshian ◽  
Justin Gillenwater
Keyword(s):  
Machine Learning ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Total Body Surface Area ◽  
Burn Wound ◽  
Burn Care ◽  
Surgeon Experience ◽  
Automated Software ◽  
Burn Depth ◽  
Automated Methods ◽  
Equal Weighting

Abstract Introduction Current methods of burn evaluation and treatment are subjective and dependent on surgeon experience, with high rates of inter-rater variability leading to inaccurate diagnoses and treatment. Machine learning (ML) and automated methods are being used to develop more objective and accurate methods for burn diagnosis and triage. Defined as a subfield of artificial intelligence that applies algorithms capable of knowledge acquisition, machine learning draws patterns from data, which it can then apply to clinically relevant tasks. This technology has the potential to improve burn management by quantitating diagnoses, improving diagnostic accuracy, and increasing access to burn care. The aim of this systematic review is to summarize the literature regarding machine learning and automated methods for burn wound evaluation and treatment. Methods A systematic review of articles available on PubMed and MEDLINE (OVID) was performed. Keywords used in the search process included burns, machine learning, deep learning, burn classification technology, and mobile applications. Reviews, case reports, and opinion papers were excluded. Data were extracted on study design, study objectives, study models, devices used to capture data, machine learning, or automated software used, expertise level and number of evaluators, and ML accuracy of burn wound evaluation. Results The search identified 592 unique titles. After screening, 35 relevant articles were identified for systematic review. Nine studies used machine learning and automated software to estimate percent total body surface area (%TBSA) burned, 4 calculated fluid requirements, 18 estimated burn depth, 5 estimated need for surgery, 6 predicted mortality, and 2 evaluated scarring in burn patients. Devices used to estimate %TBSA burned showed an accuracy comparable to or better than traditional methods. Burn depth estimation sensitivities resulted in unweighted means >81%, which increased to >83% with equal weighting applied. Mortality prediction sensitivity had an unweighted mean of 96.75%, which increased to 99.35% with equal weighting. Conclusions Machine learning and automated technology are promising tools that provide objective and accurate measures of evaluating burn wounds. Existing methods address the key steps in burn care management; however, existing data reporting on their robustness remain in the early stages. Further resources should be dedicated to leveraging this technology to improve outcomes in burn care.

102 Wildfire Burns: Implications for Burn Care

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S67-S67
Author(s):  
Tina L Palmieri ◽  
Kathleen S Romanowski ◽  
Soman Sen ◽  
David G Greenhalgh
Keyword(s):  
Length Of Stay ◽  
Burn Injury ◽  
Total Body Surface Area ◽  
Ventilatory Support ◽  
Mass Casualty ◽  
Inhalation Injury ◽  
Burn Injuries ◽  
Injury Incidence ◽  
Burn Centers ◽  
Burn Care

Abstract Introduction Climate change, the encroachment of populations into wilderness, and carelessness have combined to increase the incidence of wildfire injuries. With the increased incidence has come an increase in the number of burn injuries. Prolonged extrication, delays in resuscitation, and the extreme fire and toxic air environment in a wildfire has the potential to cause more severe burn injury. The purpose of this study is to examine the demographics and outcomes of wildfire injuries and compare those outcomes to non-wildfire injuries. Methods Charts of patients admitted to a regional burn center during a massive wildfire in 2018 were reviewed for demographic, treatment, and outcome. We then obtained age, gender, and burn size matched controls from within 2 years of the incident, analyzed the same measures, and compared treatment and outcomes between the two groups. Results A total of 20 patients, 10 wildfire (WF) burns and 10 non-wildfire (NWF) burns, were included in the study. Age (59.6±7.8 WF vs. 59.4±7.4 years), total body surface area burn (TBSA) (14.9±4.7 WF vs. 17.2±0.9 NWF) and inhalation injury incidence (2 WF and 2 NWF) were similar between groups. Days on mechanical ventilation (24.3±19.4 WF vs. 9.4±9.8 NWF), length of stay (49.9±21.8 WF vs. 28.2±11.7 days) and ICU length of stay (43.0±25.6 WF vs 24.4±11.2 NWF) were higher in the WF group. WF patients required twice the number of operations. Mortality was similar in both groups (1 death/group). Conclusions Wildfire burn injuries, when compared to age, inhalation injury, and burn size matched controls, require more ventilatory support and have more operations. As a result, they have longer lengths of stay and have a prolonged ICU course. Burn centers should be prepared for the increased resource utilization that accompanies wildfire injuries. Applicability of Research to Practice All burn centers must be prepared for the possibility of wildfires and the increased resource utilzation that accompanies mass casualty events.

Timing of Flap Surgery in Acute Burn Patients Does Not Affect Complications

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (5) ◽  
pp. 967-970
Author(s):  
David Perrault ◽  
Danielle Rochlin ◽  
Christopher Pham ◽  
Arash Momeni ◽  
Yvonne Karanas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Independent Predictor ◽  
Multivariable Analysis ◽  
Total Body Surface Area ◽  
Free Flaps ◽  
Stepwise Logistic Regression ◽  
Electrical Injury ◽  
Burn Patients ◽  
Burn Wound ◽  
Burn Care ◽  
Flap Coverage

Abstract Pedicled and free flaps are occasionally necessary to reconstruct complex wounds in acute burn patients. Flap coverage has classically been delayed for concern of progressive tissue necrosis and flap failure. We aim to investigate flap complications in primary burn care leveraging national U.S. data. Acute burn patients with known % total body surface area(TBSA) were extracted from the Nationwide/National Inpatient Sample from 2002 to 2014 based on the International Classification of Disease (ICD) codes, ninth edition. Variables included age, sex, race, Elixhauser index, %TBSA, mechanism, inhalation injury, and location of burn. Flap complication was defined by ICD-9 procedure code 86.75, return to the operating room for flap revision. Multivariable analysis evaluated predictors of flap compromise using stepwise logistic regression with backward elimination. The weighted sample included 306,924 encounters of which 526 received a flap (0.17%). About 7.8% of flap encounters sustained electric injury compared to 2.7% of non-flap encounters (odds ratio [OR] 3.76, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.95–7.24, P < .001). The mean hospital day of the flap procedure was 10.1 (SD 10.7) days. Flap complications occurred in 6.4% of cases. The timing of flap coverage was not associated with complications. The only independent predictor of flap complication was electrical injury (OR 40.49, 95% CI 2.98–550.64, P = .005). Electrical injury was an independent predictor of flap complications compared to other mechanisms. Flap timing was not associated with return to surgery for complications. This suggests that the use of flaps is safe in acute burn care to achieve burn wound closure with an understanding that electrical injuries may warrant particular consideration to avoid failure.

656 Autologous Skin Cell Suspension is Associated with Decreased Hospital Length of Stay and Limited Surgical Interventions

2021 ◽  
Vol 42 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S194-S194
Author(s):  
Nicole M Kopari ◽  
Yazen Qumsiyeh
Keyword(s):  
Length Of Stay ◽  
Cell Suspension ◽  
Average Length ◽  
Total Body Surface Area ◽  
Hospital Length ◽  
Care Quality ◽  
Hospital Length Of Stay ◽  
Burn Patients ◽  
Burn Care ◽  
Skin Cell

Abstract Introduction Hospital length of stay is a measure of burn care quality and resource allocation. Traditionally, the average length of stay (LOS) for patients with burns is estimated at 1 day/% total body surface area (TBSA) although the 2016 American Burn Association National Burn Repository predicts closer to 3 days/%TBSA. Recent literature has shown that application of autologous skin cell suspension (ASCS) is associated with decreased hospital LOS and therefore is considered economically advantageous. Our study evaluated the LOS as it related to TBSA as well as the number of operations in patients treated with ASCS. Methods This is a single institution, retrospective review of burn patients at an American Burn Associated verified burn center admitted from August 2019 - August 2020 who underwent epidermal autografting. Patients were treated for partial thickness and full thickness burns either with epidermal grafting alone or in combination with widely meshed skin grafting. Demographics included age and sex of patient. The TBSA, LOS, number of operations, and re-admission rates were also collected. Results A total of 52 patients were included in the review. 73% were male with an average age of 42 years (range 15 months to 88 years. The patients were stratified into 4 different categories based on their burn TBSA: 0-10% (n=25), 11-20% (n=16), 21-30% (n=5), and >30% (n=6). The average number of operations increased with %TBSA (0-10%=1, 11-20%=1, 21-30%=2, >30%=4). The average LOS overall was 0.9 days/%TBSA (0-10%=1.0, 11-20%=0.7, 21-30%=0.9, >30%=0.8). Only one patient required re-admission after the first dressing takedown and underwent a second application of ASCS with subsequent healing. No patients required reconstructive surgery. Conclusions Burn patients treated with ASCS continue to demonstrate a decreased LOS/%TBSA and an overall decrease in the number of operations. The most significant impact may be noted as burn size increases.

108 Length of Stay per Total Body Surface Area Relative to Burn Mechanism: A Pediatric Injury Quality Improvement Collaborative (PIQIC) Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 42 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S72-S73
Author(s):  
Kelli N Patterson ◽  
Kyle Horvath ◽  
Amanda Onwuka ◽  
Renata Fabia ◽  
Sheila Giles ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Improvement ◽  
Length Of Stay ◽  
Surface Area ◽  
Body Surface Area ◽  
Body Surface ◽  
Total Body Surface Area ◽  
Quality Improvement Collaborative ◽  
Burn Care ◽  
Pediatric Injury ◽  
Total Body

Abstract Introduction Studies on length of stay (LOS) per total body surface area (TBSA) burn in pediatric patients have been performed at single institutions and based on ranges of TBSA burn. A LOS to TBSA burn ratio of 1:1 has also been widely accepted but not confirmed over time across numerous institutions. The objective of this study was to use multi-institutional pediatric burn data to describe benchmarks associated with LOS per TBSA burn. Methods Data from the Pediatric Injury Quality Improvement Collaborative (PIQIC) were obtained for 1004 patients (n=1004) treated at five pediatric burn centers from July 2018-March 2020. LOS/TBSA burn ratios were calculated for each site. LOS/TBSA burn by institution and mechanism were analyzed. Generalized linear regression models were used to model the effect of hospital and burn mechanism on the LOS/TBSA ratio. Results Among the 1004 injuries, the most common burn mechanism was by scald (64%), followed by contact (16%) and flame (13%). The average LOS/TBSA burn ratio across all cases was 1.3 days (SD 2.2). Flame burns had a higher LOS/TBSA burn ratio than scald burns with a mean LOS/TBSA burn of 1.63 compared to 0.84. In adjusted models, scald burns, and chemical burns had the lowest LOS/TBSA burn ratio and electrical and friction burns had the highest LOS/TBSA burn ratio. The LOS/TBSA burn ratio was comparable across hospitals after adjustment for mechanism, with just Hospital 4 having a lower average LOS/TBSA burn of 0.49 days. Conclusions These data establish a multi-institutional ratio for the overall performance in LOS for pediatric burn patients. A LOS per TBSA ratio of about 1 was observed across PIQIC centers, except for a lower ratio at one center. Additionally, it provides evidence on the variance in LOS per TBSA burn relative to the sustained burn mechanism. Further collaborative data analysis will allow us to recognize specific patterns and outcomes in pediatric burn care, which is essential for the implementation of quality improvement standards.

Use of Infrared Thermography for Assessment of Burn Depth and Healing Potential: A Systematic Review

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justin Dang ◽  
Matthew Lin ◽  
Calvin Tan ◽  
Christopher H Pham ◽  
Samantha Huang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Sensitivity And Specificity ◽  
Clinical Assessment ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Ir Thermography ◽  
Burn Wound ◽  
Burn Care ◽  
Wound Assessment ◽  
Burn Depth ◽  
Mean Sensitivity

Abstract Introduction Burn wound depth assessments are an important component of determining patient prognosis and making appropriate management decisions. Clinical appraisal of the burn wound by an experienced burn surgeon is standard of care but has limitations. IR thermography is a technology in burn care that can provide a non-invasive, quantitative method of evaluating burn wound depth. IR thermography utilizes a specialized camera that can capture the infrared emissivity of the skin, and the resulting images can be analyzed to determine burn depth and healing potential of a burn wound. Though IR thermography has great potential for burn wound assessment, its use for this has not been well documented. Thus, we have conducted a systematic review of the current use of IR thermography to assess burn depth and healing potential. Methods A systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature was performed on PubMed and Google Scholar between June 2020-December 2020 using the following keywords: FLIR, FLIR ONE, thermography, forward looking infrared, thermal imaging + burn*, burn wound assessment, burn depth, burn wound depth, burn depth assessment, healing potential, burn healing potential. A meta-analysis was performed on the mean sensitivity and specificity of the ability of IR thermography for predicting healing potential. Inclusion criteria were articles investigating the use of IR thermography for burn wound assessments in adults and pediatric patients. Reviews and non-English articles were excluded. Results A total of 19 articles were included in the final review. Statistically significant correlations were found between IR thermography and laser doppler imaging (LDI) in 4/4 clinical studies. A case report of a single patient found that IR thermography was more accurate than LDI for assessing burn depth. Five articles investigated the ability of IR thermography to predict healing time, with four reporting statistically significant results. Temperature differences between burnt and unburnt skin were found in 2/2 articles. IR thermography was compared to clinical assessment in five articles, with varying results regarding accuracy of clinical assessment compared to thermography. Mean sensitivity and specificity of the ability of IR thermography to determine healing potential <15 days was 44.5 and 98.8 respectively. Mean sensitivity and specificity of the ability of FLIR to determine healing potential <21 days was 51.2 and 77.9 respectively. Conclusion IR thermography is an accurate, simple, and cost-effective method of burn wound assessment. FLIR has been demonstrated to have significant correlations with other methods of assessing burns such as LDI and can be utilized to accurately assess burn depth and healing potential.

558 Use of Forward-Looking Infrared (FLIR) Technology to Assess Burn Depth and Healing Potential: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 42 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S128-S129
Author(s):  
Justin Dang ◽  
Matthew E Lin ◽  
Samantha Huang ◽  
Ian F Hulsebos ◽  
Haig A Yenikomshian ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Sensitivity And Specificity ◽  
Clinical Assessment ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Burn Wound ◽  
Burn Care ◽  
Wound Assessment ◽  
Burn Depth ◽  
Mean Sensitivity ◽  
Forward Looking

Abstract Introduction Burn wound depth assessments are an important component of determining patient prognosis and making appropriate management decisions. Clinical appraisal of the burn wound by an experienced burn surgeon is standard of care but has limitations. Forward-looking Infrared (FLIR) is a new technology in burn care that can provide a non-invasive, quantitative method of evaluating burn wound depth. FLIR utilizes a specialized camera that can capture the infrared emissivity of the skin, and the resulting images can be analyzed to determine burn depth and healing potential of a burn wound. Though FLIR has great potential for burn wound assessment, its use for this has not been well documented. Thus, we have conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of the current use of FLIR technology to assess burn depth and healing potential. Methods A systematic review of the literature was performed on PubMed and Google Scholar between June 2020-August 2020 using the following keywords: thermal imaging, FLIR, forward looking infrared, burn, burn depth. Meta-analysis was performed on the mean sensitivity and specificity of the ability of FLIR to predict healing potential. Inclusion criteria were articles investigating the use of FLIR for burn wound assessments in adults, pediatric patients and animal models. Reviews and non-English articles were excluded. Results A total of 11 articles were included in the final review. Statistically significant correlations were found between FLIR and laser doppler imaging (LDI) in 3/3 clinical studies. A case report of a single patient found that FLIR was more accurate than LDI for assessing burn depth. Three articles investigated the ability of FLIR to predict healing potential, with all three reporting statistically significant results. Significant temperature differences between burnt and unburnt skin were found in 2/2 articles. FLIR was compared to clinical assessment by burn surgeons in two articles; one article found that FLIR was more accurate for assessing burn depth, while the other article found that clinical assessment was more accurate for predicting healing potential < 21 days. Mean sensitivity and specificity of the ability of FLIR to determine healing potential < 15 days was 44.5 and 98.8 respectively. Mean sensitivity and specificity of the ability of FLIR to determine healing potential < 21 days was 44.0 and 77.4 respectively. Conclusions FLIR is an accurate, simple, and cost-effective method of burn wound assessment. FLIR has been demonstrated to have significant correlations with other methods of assessing burns such as LDI and can be utilized to accurately assess burn depth and healing potential.

scholarly journals Quantifying the impact of inhalational burns: a prospective study

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Si Jack Chong ◽  
Yee Onn Kok ◽  
Rosanna Xiang Ying Tay ◽  
Desai Suneel Ramesh ◽  
Kok Chai Tan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Acute Kidney Injury ◽  
Length Of Stay ◽  
Prospective Study ◽  
Total Body Surface Area ◽  
Kidney Injury ◽  
Burn Wound ◽  
Singapore General Hospital ◽  
Inhalational Injury ◽  
A Prospective Study ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Inhalational injury is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in burns patients. This study aims to analyse the clinical outcomes, complications and bacteriology of inhalational burn patients. Methods A prospective study was done on consecutive admissions to Burn Department, Singapore General Hospital over 15 months from January 2015 to March 2016. Presence of inhalational injury, demographics, complications and outcomes was recorded. Diagnosis of inhalational injury was based on history, symptoms and nasoendoscopy. Diagnosis of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), acute kidney injury (AKI) and infective complications were according to the Berlin criteria, acute kidney injury network (AKIN) classification stage 2 and above and the American Burns Association guidelines. Results Thirty-five patients (17.3%) had inhalational burns out of 202 patients (63.4% male, 57.4% Chinese population). The average age was 43 ± 16.7 years (range 16–86), and percentage of total body surface area (%TBSA) was 12.1 ± 18.0 (range 0–88). In patients with inhalational injury, age was 38.9 ± 17.2 years and %TBSA was 30.3 ± 32.3. In patients without inhalational injury, age was 44.1 ± 12.8  years and %TBSA was 8.3 ± 9.59. Compared to patients with cutaneous injury alone, patients with inhalational burns had more surgeries (3 ± 7.07 vs 1 ± 1.54, p = 0.003), increased length of stay (21 days vs 8 days, p = 0.004) and higher in-hospital mortality rate (17.1% vs 0.6%, p < 0.001). Incidence of ARDS and AKI was 48.6% and 37.1%, respectively, compared to 0.6% and 1.2% in the patients without inhalational injury (p < 0.001). Patients with inhalational injury had increased incidence of bacteraemia (31.4% vs 2.4%, p < 0.001), pneumonia (37.1% vs 1.2%, p < 0.001) and burn wound infection (51.4% vs 25.1%, p = 0.004). Inhalational injury predicted AKI with an adjusted odds ratio (OR) of 17.43 (95% confidence interval (CI) 3.07–98.87, p < 0.001); ARDS, OR = 106.71 (95% CI 12.73–894.53, p < 0.001) and pneumonia, OR = 13.87 (95% CI 2.32–82.94, p = 0.004). Acinetobacter baumannii was the most frequently cultured bacteria in sputum, blood and tissue cultures with inhalational injury. Gram-negative bacteria were predominantly cultured from tissue in patients with inhalational injury, whereas gram-positive bacteria were predominantly cultured from tissue in patients without inhalational injury. Conclusions Inhalational injury accompanying burns significantly increases the length of stay, mortality and complications including AKI, ARDS, infection and sepsis.

The Impact of No Next of Kin Decision Makers on End-of-Life Care

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan K Ota ◽  
Maxwell B Johnson ◽  
Trevor A Pickering ◽  
Warren L Garner ◽  
T Justin Gillenwater ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Length Of Stay ◽  
Surface Area ◽  
Body Surface ◽  
Total Body Surface Area ◽  
Burn Patients ◽  
Next Of Kin ◽  
Medical Decisions ◽  
Comfort Care ◽  
Burn Care ◽  
Total Body

Abstract For critically ill burn patients without a next of kin, the medical team is tasked with becoming the surrogate decision maker. This poses ethical and legal challenges for burn providers. Despite this frequent problem, there has been no investigation of how the presence of a next of kin affects treatment in burn patients. To evaluate this relationship, a retrospective chart review was performed on a cohort of patients who died during the acute phase of their burn care. Variables collected included age, gender, length of stay, total body surface area, course of treatment, and presence of a next of kin. In total, 67 patients met the inclusion criteria. Of these patients, 14 (21%) did not have a next of kin involved in medical decisions. Patients without a next of kin were significantly younger (P = .02), more likely to be homeless (P < .01), had higher total body surface area burns (P = .008), had shorter length of stay (P < .001), and were five times less likely to receive comfort care (P = .01). Differences in gender and ethnicity were not statistically significant. We report that patients without a next of kin present to participate in medical decisions are transitioned to comfort care less often despite having a higher burden of injury. This disparity in standard of care demonstrates a need for a cultural shift in burn care to prevent the suffering of these marginalized patients. Burn providers should be empowered to reduce suffering when no decision maker is present.

scholarly journals Early Excision and Grafting in Burns: An Experience in a Tertiary Care Industrial Hospital of Eastern India

2019 ◽  
Vol 52 (03) ◽  
pp. 337-342
Author(s):  
Prasenjit Goswami ◽  
Seelora Sahu ◽  
Pankaj Singodia ◽  
Manjeet Kumar ◽  
Tukulu Tudu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Length Of Stay ◽  
Burn Injury ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Total Body Surface Area ◽  
Burn Patients ◽  
Cost Of Treatment ◽  
Outcome Parameters ◽  
Burn Care ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Cost

Abstract Introduction To compare the burn patients undergoing early excision and grafting (within 7 days of burn injury) with the patients undergoing late surgeries (more than 7 days after burn injury) to see if there was any difference in surgical and outcome parameters including length of stay, expenditure, and overall outcome of the patients. Material and Methods A retrospective analysis of the data collected from the burn care unit records over a period of one year was done. Fifty-eight patients who matched with our inclusion criteria were divided into two groups. An early excision group who underwent surgery within 7 days of sustaining burn injury (n = 24) and a late excision group who underwent excision and grafting/debridement after 7 days of sustaining burn (n = 34). Data recorded included demographic variables like age, sex, percentage total body surface area (TBSA) burn; nature of burn; date of sustaining burn; date of admission to the burn care unit; and treatment and outcome parameters like date of surgery, days from burn injury to first surgery, number of surgeries, type of surgery, percentage of TBSA resurfaced with skin graft, blood products used, length of stay, outcome, and total expenditure incurred by patients. Results There was no statistically significant difference in the number of surgeries done, the units of packed cell used, and the number of fresh frozen plasma (FFP) used between the early excision group and the late excision group. The length of stay was significantly low in the early excision group as compared with the late excision group. The expenditure incurred in the treatment of the early excision group was significantly lower than the cost of treatment of the late excision group. Conclusion Early excision and grafting in burn cases reduces the length of the stay of burn patients and, in turn, reduces the cost of treatment. However, having a dedicated burn care unit is important for the hospitals and both public and private hospitals should make a move in that direction.

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