Abstract
Introduction
Blast injuries present unique challenges to civilian and military healthcare providers because of the complex and often severe nature of injuries spanning numerous anatomical regions, tissue types, and organ systems. Due to these factors, we devised a novel wound-focused classification system for implementation during triage and management of blast injuries to optimize outcomes and applied this system to patients treated at an ABA-certified burn center over 5 years.
Methods
A retrospective analysis of patients treated by an ABA-certified burn center for blast-related injuries from September 1, 2014 to October 31, 2019 was performed. Demographics, mechanism and distribution of injuries, interventions, and outcomes were evaluated. Injuries were classified using a wound-focused classification comprised of four zones: 1) areas closest to blast epicenter that had total or near-total tissue loss from the blast; 2) adjacent areas with thermal and chemical burns; 3) distant sites with shrapnel-related wounds; 4) injuries arising from barotrauma.
Results
We identified 64 patients who were mostly male (84%), averaging 38 ± 14 years old. Injury mechanisms included fireworks (19%), industrial accidents (16%), volatile fuels and drug labs (45%), and others including can, battery, lighter explosions (20%). All mechanisms had equivalent frequency of Zone 2 injuries with an average TBSA of 17 ± 18%. Drug-related blasts caused the highest TBSA (34 ± 23%) and the most full-thickness burns (33% vs average 23%). Fireworks had over five times (17% vs. 3%) more Zone 3 and three times (25% vs 8%) more Zone 4 injuries compared to the other mechanisms. Upper extremities were involved at twice the rate of other body regions (43% vs 19%). Patients presenting to our burn team over 24 hours after initial injury had infections in 50% of cases – a four-fold increase compared to non-delayed presentations (50% vs 13%). Overall, 45% required surgery (32% grafting, 3% flaps) but 100% of the drug-related blasts needed surgical intervention. Some patients (58%) required ICU admission with the highest rate (83%) in the drug-related group.
Conclusions
Blast injuries most often required admission for management of the Zone 2 component. Each blast mechanism resulted in distinct distributions of injury although fireworks had the greatest number of Zone 1, 3, and 4 injuries. Firework blasts were often less severe and more likely to present delayed with infectious complications. Larger blast mechanisms including drug-related lab explosions as well as industrial blasts had the highest rates of ICU admission, TBSA, full thickness depth, upper extremity involvement, and need for surgical intervention.
Extra and intradural spinal Hemangioblastoma
