Most prominent factors contributing to burn injury-related amputations: an analysis of a referral Burn Center

Author(s):  
Kayhan Gurbuz ◽  
Mete Demir ◽  
Abdulkadir Basaran ◽  
Koray Das

Abstract Amputations are un-common surgical procedures in patients with severe burn injuries. However, these patients often face extreme physical and psychological challenges that result in social stigmatization and inadequate rehabilitation facilities. A retrospective cohort study was designed for the patients admitted to the Burn Center of Adana City Training and Research Hospital (ACTRH). During the study period, a total of 2007 patients aged 0.5 to 92 years were hospitalized and treated at the burn center from January 2016 to June 2020. The incidence of amputation observed among inpatient burn injuries regardless of the etiology was 1.9%, and 87.2% were male. The univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to detect the most prominent factors contributing to burn injury-related amputations. The cause of burns appears to be one of the main factors in the past research, and in this context, the electrical burns stand out, likewise, the fire-flame-related burns, full-thickness burns, the existence of infection, male gender, patients aged within the 18 to 64 age group, and the burn extent within the total body surface area (TBSA) range of 10 to <50% were found to be the most leading factors of amputations among patients having severe burns. Although they are rare, amputations related to burns commonly cause a decrease in quality of life. Therefore, besides increasing occupational health and safety methods for these risk groups, especially for adults of working age; also, it is essential to increase the importance and awareness of the precautions to be taken in daily life.

2019 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 398-401
Author(s):  
Abdulkadir Basaran ◽  
Ozer Ozlu

Abstract Occupational burns are among the important causes of work-related injuries. We aimed to investigate the epidemiology and reasons of occupational burns and thereby to emphasize preventive measures. Between January 2017 and December 2018, the data of major occupational burn injury patients admitted to our burn center were evaluated in this cross-sectional retrospective study. During the study period 342 patients older than 16 years were admitted to the burn center. Among them 80 patients with occupational burns (23.4%) were identified. The mean age of the patients was 34.73 ± 12.3 years. Seventy-eight patients (97.5%) were male. Electrical burns and flame burns were the two leading type of occupational burns. The most common occupation of our patients was construction work. Dangerous behavior, carelessness, lack of protective equipment, and failure to follow instructions were causes of injury. Only 14 patients (17.5%) experienced unavoidable accident. Thirty-seven patients (46.3%) worked on temporary basis. Occupational experience was under 5 years in majority of the cases (62.5%). For the occupational burns the percentage of burned TBSA was 17.08 ± 14.5 (1–60) and the length of hospital stay was 23.94 ± 21.9 days (2–106). There were no significant differences between occupational and nonoccupational burn injuries considering TBSA, total length of hospital stay, and complications (P > .05). Occupational burn injuries are common in less experienced and younger workers. Therefore, recognition of the problem and maintaining awareness is important. In order to prevent occupational accidents and burns, occupational health and safety rules must be obeyed.


2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S194-S195
Author(s):  
Lisa C Vitale ◽  
Jennifer Livingston ◽  
Erica Curtis ◽  
Katherine Oag ◽  
Christina M Shanti ◽  
...  

Abstract Introduction For children who have suffered a burn injury one of the greatest challenges is managing pain with an adequate yet practical burn wound dressing that will ultimately be managed at home. Medical product companies have created a variety of wound care products available on the market. These products are advertised to be more superior over one another in categories such as decrease in wound infections, minimization of pain, ease of dressing application, increased dressing wear time, and better wound healing. With all the options for burn wound care there are many factors to consider when choosing a burn dressing such as cost, ease of dressing for families at home, comfort, and efficacy. At our ten year verified pediatric burn center we have tried many different burn wound care products, however we have found Xeroform and bacitracin to be the most practical and easy to use for our patient population. Methods A retrospective chart review was performed from 2016–2018 of all cascading scald injuries to children 0–5 years of age treated at our verified pediatric burn center. 179 patients were included in this review. Of those patients a total of 52 patients were excluded, 28 patients had no follow up, 21 patients received alternate dressings, and 3 patients had full thickness injuries requiring a split thickness skin graft (STSG). Charts were reviewed for total body surface area (TBSA), length of stay (LOS), discharge dressing type, complications, and time to healing. All patients included routinely received consistent application of the Xeroform and bacitracin. Results 127 patients discharged with Xeroform dressings were included in this study with an average age of 1.4 years old (range 0–5 years) and average TBSA of 2.5% (range 0.25–13%). The average LOS was 1.6 days (range 1–10 days). In this sample 32 (25%) patients were healed within 7 days. 77 (61%) patients were healed within 7–14 days. 11 (9%) patients were healed within 14–21 days. 7 (5%) patients were healed in greater than 21 days. There were no wound complications identified within this study group. Conclusions Using Xeroform as our standard of practice has streamlined the care provided to our patients. We have demonstrated consistent effective re-epithelization, protection from infection, and ease of dressings for families and burn providers. In our experience Xeroform has provided a versatile way to care for partial thickness burn injuries. Applicability of Research to Practice We suggest Xeroform and bacitracin dressings be used for partial thickness burn injuries in patients under 5 years of age. This dressing may be superior to other products because it allows for bathing while providing good wound epithelization and is easy to use.


2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S180-S181
Author(s):  
Nicole Bennie ◽  
Heather Belacic ◽  
David Bruckman ◽  
Mary A Mondozzi ◽  
John Crow

Abstract Introduction The Amish maintain cultural customs that preserve their identity minimizing assimilation into American culture and selectively use technology. Cultural beliefs and environmental situations can predispose the Amish, especially children to burn injuries. As a burn center it is important to examine demographics, incidence and causes of burn injury to bring awareness for prevention efforts. The purpose of this study was to determine if burns in Amish children are associated with greater severity when compared to non-Amish children. Methods A retrospective analysis of the burn registry at a verified burn center collected data on inpatient children < 14 years with an acute burn injury from 2012 through 2018. Children with frostbite and non-accidental burn trauma were excluded. Results Of the 273 children, 16 (5.9%) Amish children were similar to the 257 (94.1%) non-Amish children in age (mean age 4.8y, SD=3.8 vs. 4.0y, SD=3.7), male gender (63% vs. 59%) and percent needing surgery (44% vs. 26%, p=0.14). However, Amish children had a greater median injury severity score (ISS) (9.0, IQR [1, 25] vs. 1.0, [1, 4], p< 0.0001), median TBSA (19.5% [5.2, 52] vs. 4.0 [1.7, 7], p< 0.0001), median length of stay (LOS) (10.5 days [4, 50] vs. 2.0 days [1, 8], p< 0.0001), and median number of surgeries (0.5 [0, 6.5] vs. 0 [0, 1], p< 0.0074). Complications of ARDS (25%), sepsis (25%), compartment syndrome (18.8%), acute renal injury/failure (12.5%) and amputation (18.8%) were more prevalent among Amish children (all p< 0.0033) and non-existent in the non-Amish group. Amish children had a higher incidence of fire/flame burn (43.8% vs. 19.5%) and need for rehabilitation (37.5% vs. 0.8%). Conclusions In this study, Amish children had greater burn area, severity, longer LOS, more surgical interventions and complications than non-Amish children. Applicability of Research to Practice Culturally appropriate prevention efforts and education are needed to enhance existing care and burn or fire awareness with the Amish population.


Author(s):  
Inge Spronk ◽  
Nancy EE Van Loey ◽  
Cornelis H van der Vlies ◽  
Juanita A Haagsma ◽  
Suzanne Polinder ◽  
...  

Abstract An important aspect of the rehabilitation of burn patients is social participation, including daily activities and work. Detailed information on long-term activity impairment and employment is scarce. Therefore, we investigated activity impairment, work status, and work productivity loss in adults 5–7 years following burn injuries, and investigated associations with burn-specific health-related quality of life (HRQL) domains. Adult participants completed the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment General Health questionnaire and the Burn Specific Health Scale-brief (BSHS-B) 5–7 years post-burn. Outcomes were compared between participants with mild/intermediate and severe burns (>20% total body surface area burned). Seventy-six (36%) of the 213 participants experienced some degree of activity impairment due to burn-related problems 5–7 years post-burn. Seventy percent of the population was employed; 12% of them experienced work productivity loss due to burn-related problems. Nineteen percent reported changes in their work situation (partly) because of the burn injury. A higher proportion of participants with severe burns had activity impairments (56% vs 29%; P = .001) and work productivity loss (26% vs 8%; P < .001) compared to participants with mild/intermediate burns. Activity impairment and work productivity loss were both associated with burn-related work problems and lower mood, measured with the BSHS-B. In conclusion, a substantial part of the study population experienced activity impairment and work productivity loss, was unemployed, and/or reported changes in their work situation due to their injury. Particularly patients with severe burns reported productivity loss and had lower employment rates. This subscribes the importance of addressing work-related functioning in the rehabilitation of burn patients.


2020 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 33-36
Author(s):  
Manish Devkota ◽  
Samit Sharma ◽  
Sangam Rayamajhi ◽  
Jayan M Shrestha ◽  
Ishwar Lohani

Introduction Burn injuries are associated with higher morbidity and mortality especially in middle and low-income countries. The objective of the study is to assess the outcome of acute burn injuries in a tertiary care center of Kathmandu, Nepal. MethodsThis is a descriptive cross-sectional study of the clinical data of acute burn patients admitted from January 2016-December 2018. ResultsOut of 124 patients with burn injuries, there were more females (n=65, 52.4 %) than males (n=59, 47.6%). Flame burn was the most common mode of injury (n=71,57.3 %) followed by scald (n=22,17.7 %). Thirty-eight (30.6%) patients arrived to hospital on the same day of injury. The average time required to reach our hospital was 24 hours. The most frequently involved site was lower extremities (n=40, 32.26%) followed by upper extremities (n=33, 26.62%). Total body surface area (TBSA) involved in the burn injury ranges from 10% to 50% with a median of 15%. Hospital stay was 14 to 58 days with a median of 17 days. Partial thickness burn was seen in 114 (91.94%) patients whereas 10 (8.06%) patients had full thickness burn. Surgical intervention was needed in 71 (57.26%) patients. Among 71 patients, 12 patients underwent surgery twice. Fifty-two (41.94%) patients were managed conservatively. The mortality rate was 4.03%. ConclusionAdult female population is at high risk for burn injuries mostly due to flame burn. Delay in reaching care has also contributed for poor outcome of burn injuries. Majority of burn injury patients needed surgical intervention and hence improvement in surgical aspects can lead to better outcome of burn injuries.Keywords:


Author(s):  
Brandon T. Nokes ◽  
Ayan Sen

Burn injuries may cause morbidity and death, and patients may have widely variable presentations and outcomes. This chapter focuses on the critical care aspects of burn injury and management issues of burn and electrical injuries. Burns are classified according to the amount of total body surface area (TBSA) affected, the depth of burn, and the type of exposure associated with the burn. More specifically, burns can be chemical, electrical, or thermal. Burn severity is determined by the depth of involvement.


2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S67-S67
Author(s):  
Tina L Palmieri ◽  
Kathleen S Romanowski ◽  
Soman Sen ◽  
David G Greenhalgh

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.


2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (4) ◽  
pp. 814-819
Author(s):  
Niti Shahi ◽  
Maxene Meier ◽  
Ryan Phillips ◽  
Gabrielle Shirek ◽  
Adam Goldsmith ◽  
...  

Abstract Childhood burns are common and distressing for children and their parents. Pain is the most common complaint and often thought to be undertreated, which can negatively influence the child’s care and increase the risk of posttraumatic stress disorder. There is limited literature on the role of opioids and multimodal therapy in the treatment of pediatric outpatient burns. We sought to evaluate the current use of opioids (including the use of multimodal therapies), storage, and disposal of opioids in this patient population. Parents of burn-injured children 8 months to 18 years old, who were seen in an outpatient setting within 2 weeks of their burn injury, were queried from April to December 2019 regarding their child’s pain control, opioid medication use, over-the-counter pain medication use, opioid storage, and disposal. A total of 142 parents of burn-injured children and their parents were surveyed. The median age of the burn-injured children was 2.7 years old and the majority (54.2%; 77/142) were male. The mean total body surface area (TBSA) was 1.8% and half sustained burn injuries to one or both hands. The most frequently used regimens for constant and/or breakthrough pain control were acetaminophen (62.7%) and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs; 68.3%). Less than one fifth (26/142;18%) of patients were prescribed opioids and 88% filled their prescription. The median number of doses of opioids prescribed was eight doses, with a median of four doses of opioids unused. Only three patients used all of their prescribed opioids and no patient ≥12 years old used their entire prescription. Burns greater than 3% TBSA, irrespective of burn injury location, were associated with opioid prescription (P = .003). Approximately 40% (10/26) of parents who filled their child’s opioid prescription stored the opioid in a locked area. Fewer than one third (7/26) of patients were educated on how to dispose of excess opioid pain medication. Overall, most pediatric outpatient burn injuries can be successfully managed with over-the-counter medications. Providers, who care for burn-injured children ≤ 12 years old with burns that cover ≥3% TBSA in the outpatient setting, should consider no more than four opioid doses for initial pain control. This guideline, coupled with family and provider-centered education on multimodal therapy at the time of initial presentation and safe use of opioids, are important first steps to minimizing the use of opioids in the management of small area burns in children.


2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S102-S103
Author(s):  
Rabia Nizamani ◽  
Stephen Heisler ◽  
Lori Chrisco ◽  
Harold Campbell ◽  
Samuel W Jones ◽  
...  

Abstract Introduction In patients with type 2 diabetes (DM2), amputation rates exceed 30% when lower extremity osteomyelitis is present. We sought to determine the rate of osteomyelitis and any subsequent amputation in our patients with DM2 and lower extremity burns. Methods We performed a single site, retrospective review at our burn center using the institutional Burn Center registry with links to clinical and administrative data. Adults (≥18 years old) with DM2 admitted from January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2018 for isolated lower extremity burns were eligible for inclusion. We evaluated demographics, burn characteristics, comorbidities, admission laboratory values, presence of radiologically-confirmed osteomyelitis, length of stay (LOS), inpatient hospitalization costs, and amputation rate at 3 months and 12 months after injury. Statistical analysis was performed with Students’ t-test, chi-squared, and Fischer’s exact test. Results For 103 patients identified with DM2 and isolated lower extremity burns, the average age was 54 years old. The majority of patients were male (78.6%) and white (55.3%). The average total body surface area (TBSA) of burn was 1.8% and 53.4% were scald burns. Thirty percent of patients had a history of heart disease and 22% were current smokers. The average hemoglobin A1c was 9.19 and average creatinine was 2.01. Overall rates of any amputation were 14.6% at 3 months and 18.4% at 12 months. Fifteen patients (14.6%) had radiologically-confirmed osteomyelitis within 90 days of the burn injury. Compared to patients without osteomyelitis, this subset of patients had significantly increased LOS (average LOS 22.7 days vs 12.1 days, p=0.0041), inpatient hospitalization costs (average $135,345 vs $62,237, p=0.0008), amputation rate within 3 months (66.7% vs 5.70%, p< 0.00001), and amputation rate within 12 months (66.7% vs 10.2%, p< 0.0001). There were no significant differences in other characteristics between patients with osteomyelitis and those without. Conclusions Patients with DM2 and lower extremity burns incurred increased LOS, higher inpatient hospitalization costs, and increased amputation rates if radiologically-confirmed osteomyelitis was present. Applicability of Research to Practice Osteomyelitis in diabetic patients with lower extremity burns may predict need for amputation within one year of burn injury. Further study could aid in development of protocols for early identification and aggressive treatment of osteomyelitis in burn patients, which may improve LOS, cost, and amputation rates.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin M Klifto ◽  
A Lee Dellon ◽  
C Scott Hultman

Abstract Background Chronic pain, unrelated to the burn itself, can manifest as a long-term complication in patients sustaining burn injuries. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of chronic neuropathic pain (CNP) and compare burn characteristics between patients who developed CNP and patients without CNP who were treated at a burn center. Methods A single-center, retrospective analysis of 1880 patients admitted to the adult burn center was performed from 1 January 2014 to 1 January 2019. Patients included were over the age of 15 years, sustained a burn injury and were admitted to the burn center. CNP was diagnosed clinically following burn injury. Patients were excluded from the definition of CNP if their pain was due to an underlying illness or medication. Comparisons between patients admitted to the burn center with no pain and patients admitted to the burn center who developed CNP were performed. Results One hundred and thirteen of the 1880 burn patients developed CNP as a direct result of burn injury over 5 years with a prevalence of 6.01%. Patients who developed CNP were a significantly older median age (54 years vs. 46 years, p = 0.002), abused alcohol (29% vs. 8%, p < 0.001), abused substances (31% vs. 9%, p < 0.001), were current daily smokers (73% vs. 33%, p < 0.001), suffered more full-thickness burns (58% vs. 43%, p < 0.001), greater median percent of total body surface area (%TBSA) burns (6 vs. 3.5, p < 0.001), were more often intubated on mechanical ventilation (33% vs. 14%, p < 0.001), greater median number of surgeries (2 vs. 0, p < 0.001) and longer median hospital length of stay (LOS) (10 days vs. 3 days, p < 0.001), compared to those who did not develop CNP, respectively. Median patient follow-up was 27 months. Conclusions The prevalence of CNP over 5 years was 6.01% in the burn center. Older ages, alcohol abuse, substance abuse, current daily smoking, greater percent of total body surface area (%TBSA) burns, third degree burns, being intubated on mechanical ventilation, having more surgeries and longer hospital LOS were associated with developing CNP following burn injury, compared to patients who did not develop CNP following burn injury.


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