Diagnosis and Management of Invasive Fungal Wound Infections in Burn Patients

Invasive fungal wound infection (FWI) after burn injury, while uncommon, is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. There are numerous risk factors for FWI, including large burn size and incomplete excision of burn wounds. FWI can be challenging to diagnose. Close attention to changes in the physical examination and, in particular, to the appearance of burn wounds leads the burn team to be suspicious of FWI. Once FWI is suspected, histopathological evaluation of an incisional biopsy provides definitive diagnosis, while tissue culture enables identification of the causative organism to the species level and facilitates targeted antifungal therapy. Management of FWI focuses largely on aggressive surgical intervention, in addition to adjunctive systemic and topical antifungals and nonpharmacologic therapies. Treatment of FWI involves a multifaceted approach, which requires expertise from the entire multidisciplinary burn team.

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Nudegusių ligonių ir jų žaizdų patogenų analizė

Lietuvos chirurgija ◽

10.15388/lietchirur.2004.3.2358 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 2 (3) ◽

pp. 0-0 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Rokas Bagdonas ◽

Algimantas Tamelis ◽

Rytis Rimdeika ◽

Mindaugas Kiudelis

Keyword(s):

Staphylococcus Aureus ◽

Burn Injury ◽

Young Male ◽

Microbiological Analysis ◽

Burn Patients ◽

Burn Wound ◽

Burn Wounds ◽

Major Burn ◽

A Minor ◽

Age Range

Rokas Bagdonas, Algimantas Tamelis, Rytis Rimdeika, Mindaugas Kiudelis Įvadas / tikslas Didžiausia nudegimų chirurgijos problema yra infekcija, nuo kurios miršta daugiau kaip 50% visų nudegusių pacientų. Nudegimų žaizda greitai infekuojasi, kadangi žaizdos aplinka yra ideali mikroorganizmams atsirasti ir daugintis. Studijoje, patvirtintoje Universiteto etikos komiteto, analizuojami nudegę pacientai ir iš nudegimo žaizdų išskirti patogenai. Pacientai ir metodai Mes analizavome 2246 nudegusius pacientus (amžiaus vidurkis – 27 metai), gydytus KMU Chirurgijos klinikose 1997–2002 metais. Nudegimo sunkumas buvo vertintas pagal Amerikos nudegimų asociacijos (ABA) schemą. 2462 nudegimo žaizdos pasėliai (2246 pacientų) buvo paimti steriliu tamponu ir pasėti 5% kraujo ir MacConkey terpėse. Rezultatai Iš nudegusių pacientų 1447 (74%) buvo vyrai ir 799 (26%) – moterys (p < 0,001). Pacientų amžius – nuo 2 iki 47 metų. 1261 (56%, p < 0,05) pacientai patyrė lengvą, 522 – vidutinį ir 463 – sunkų kūno nudegimą. 2130 pasėliai (86,5%), paimti iš 2462 nudegimo žaizdų, buvo teigiami. Iš 2130 teigiamų pasėlių Staphylococcus aureus išskirtas 1110 (52,1%) pasėliuose, iš jų MRSA – 498 (23,4%). Išvados Jauni vyrai dažniausiai patiria lengvus kūno nudegimus. Nudegimo žaizda dažniausiai infekuojasi S. aureus mikroorganizmais. MRSA yra pagrindinis ligoninės patogenas, infekuojantis nudegimo žaizdą. Prasminiai žodžiai: nudegimo sunkumas, nudegimo žaizdos patogenai, išskirti sukėlėjai Analysis of burn patients and the isolated pathogens Rokas Bagdonas, Algimantas Tamelis, Rytis Rimdeika, Mindaugas KiudelisKaunas Medical University, Clinic of Surgery,Eivenių str. 2, LT-50009, Kaunas, LithuaniaE-mail: [email protected] Background / objective The major challenge for a burn team is infection, which is known to cause over 50% of burn deaths. Burns become infected, because the environment at the site of the wound is ideal for the proliferation of infecting organisms. This study, approved by the regional Ethics Committee, analyzes the features of burned patients and the rates of pathogens isolated from burn wounds. Patients and methods We studied 2246 burn patients (mean age 27 years) admitted to the tertiary academic hospital in 1997–2002. The differentiation of the severity of burn injury was based on the scheme of the American Burn Association (ABA). 2462 surface swabs for microbiological analysis were taken from all 2246 patients. The wound area was swabbed with an alginate swab and cultured in 5% blood and MacConkey agar. Results There were 1447 (74%) men and 799 (26%) women (p < 0.001), age range 2–47 years. There were 1261 patients (56%, p < 0.05) with minor, 522 with moderate and 463 with major burn injuries. 2130 swabs (86.5%) out of 2462 burn wound surface swabs were positive. Out of 2130 isolates positive for pathogenic bacterial culture, there were 1110 (52.1%) isolates positive for Staphylococcus aureus infection. The rate of MRSA was 23.4% (498 isolates). Conclusions Young male patients mostly have a minor burn injury. Burn wounds are most commonly infected with S. aureus. MRSA is still the main hospital pathogen in burns. Keywords: severity of the burn injury, burn swabs, isolated pathogens

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11 Vitamin D Deficiency on Admission and the Association with Length of Stay in Patients with Thermal Injury: A Multi-center Analysis

Journal of Burn Care & Research ◽

10.1093/jbcr/irab032.016 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 42 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S13-S14

Author(s):

Sarah Zavala ◽

Kate Pape ◽

Todd A Walroth ◽

Melissa A Reger ◽

Katelyn Garner ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Vitamin D ◽

Length Of Stay ◽

Vitamin D Deficiency ◽

Burn Injury ◽

Total Body Surface Area ◽

Inhalation Injury ◽

Hospital Length Of Stay ◽

Burn Patients ◽

Comfort Care ◽

The Impact

Abstract Introduction In burn patients, vitamin D deficiency has been associated with increased incidence of sepsis. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of vitamin D deficiency in adult burn patients on hospital length of stay (LOS). Methods This was a multi-center retrospective study of adult patients at 7 burn centers admitted between January 1, 2016 and July 25, 2019 who had a 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) concentration drawn within the first 7 days of injury. Patients were excluded if admitted for a non-burn injury, total body surface area (TBSA) burn less than 5%, pregnant, incarcerated, or made comfort care or expired within 48 hours of admission. The primary endpoint was to compare hospital LOS between burn patients with vitamin D deficiency (defined as 25OHD < 20 ng/mL) and sufficiency (25OHD ≥ 20 ng/mL). Secondary endpoints include in-hospital mortality, ventilator-free days of the first 28, renal replacement therapy (RRT), length of ICU stay, and days requiring vasopressors. Additional data collected included demographics, Charlson Comorbidity Index, injury characteristics, form of vitamin D received (ergocalciferol or cholecalciferol) and dosing during admission, timing of vitamin D initiation, and form of nutrition provided. Dichotomous variables were compared via Chi-square test. Continuous data were compared via student t-test or Mann-Whitney U test. Univariable linear regression was utilized to identify variables associated with LOS (p < 0.05) to analyze further. Cox Proportional Hazard Model was utilized to analyze association with LOS, while censoring for death, and controlling for TBSA, age, presence of inhalation injury, and potential for a center effect. Results Of 1,147 patients screened, 412 were included. Fifty-seven percent were vitamin D deficient. Patients with vitamin D deficiency had longer LOS (18.0 vs 12.0 days, p < 0.001), acute kidney injury (AKI) requiring RRT (7.3 vs 1.7%, p = 0.009), more days requiring vasopressors (mean 1.24 vs 0.58 days, p = 0.008), and fewer ventilator free days of the first 28 days (mean 22.9 vs 25.1, p < 0.001). Univariable analysis identified burn center, AKI, TBSA, inhalation injury, admission concentration, days until concentration drawn, days until initiating supplementation, and dose as significantly associated with LOS. After controlling for center, TBSA, age, and inhalation injury, the best fit model included only deficiency and days until vitamin D initiation. Conclusions Patients with thermal injuries and vitamin D deficiency on admission have increased length of stay and worsened clinical outcomes as compared to patients with sufficient vitamin D concentrations.

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Surviving Burn Injury: Drivers of Length of Hospital Stay

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18020761 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (2) ◽

pp. 761

Author(s):

Chimdimma Noelyn Onah ◽

Richard Allmendinger ◽

Julia Handl ◽

Ken W. Dunn

Keyword(s):

Mental Status ◽

Burn Injury ◽

Length Of Hospital Stay ◽

Care Plan ◽

Burn Patients ◽

Emotional Needs ◽

Effective Care ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Unitary Model ◽

Hospital Resources

With a reduction in the mortality rate of burn patients, length of stay (LOS) has been increasingly adopted as an outcome measure. Some studies have attempted to identify factors that explain a burn patient’s LOS. However, few have investigated the association between LOS and a patient’s mental and socioeconomic status. There is anecdotal evidence for links between these factors; uncovering these will aid in better addressing the specific physical and emotional needs of burn patients and facilitate the planning of scarce hospital resources. Here, we employ machine learning (clustering) and statistical models (regression) to investigate whether segmentation by socioeconomic/mental status can improve the performance and interpretability of an upstream predictive model, relative to a unitary model. Although we found no significant difference in the unitary model’s performance and the segment-specific models, the interpretation of the segment-specific models reveals a reduced impact of burn severity in LOS prediction with increasing adverse socioeconomic and mental status. Furthermore, the socioeconomic segments’ models highlight an increased influence of living circumstances and source of injury on LOS. These findings suggest that in addition to ensuring that patients’ physical needs are met, management of their mental status is crucial for delivering an effective care plan.

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Follow up after burn injury is disturbingly low and linked with social factors

Journal of Burn Care & Research ◽

10.1093/jbcr/irab065 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Irina P Karashchuk ◽

Eve A Solomon ◽

David G Greenhalgh ◽

Soman Sen ◽

Tina L Palmieri ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Social History ◽

Drug Dependence ◽

Burn Injury ◽

Retrospective Chart Review ◽

Burn Patients ◽

Chi Square ◽

Factors Associated ◽

Ed Visits ◽

Zip Code

Abstract For medical and social reasons, it is important that burn patients attend follow up appointments (FUAs). Our goal was to examine the factors leading to missed FUAs in burn patients. A retrospective chart review was conducted of adult patients admitted to the burn center from 2016-2018. Data collected included burn characteristics, social history, and zip code. Data analysis was conducted using chi-square, Wilcox Rank Sum tests, and multivariate regression models. A total of 878 patients were analyzed, with 224 (25.5%) failing to attend any FUAs and 492 (56.0%) missing at least one appointment (MA). Patients who did not attend any FUAs had smaller burns (4.5 (8)% vs. 6.5 (11)% median (inter quartile range)), traveled farther (70.2 (111.8) vs. 52.5 (76.7) miles), and were more likely to be homeless (22.8% vs. 6.9%) and have drug dependence (47.3% vs. 27.2%). Patients who had at least one MA were younger (42 (26) vs. 46 (28) years) and more likely to be homeless (17.5% vs. 2.6%) and have drug dependence (42.5% vs. 19.4%). On multivariate analysis, factors associated with never attending a FUA were: distance from hospital (odds ratio (OR) 1.004), burn size (OR 0.96), and homelessness (OR 0.33). Factors associated with missing at least one FUA : age (OR 0.99), drug dependence (OR 0.46), homelessness (OR 0.22), and ED visits (OR 0.56). A high percentage of patients fail to make any appointment following their injury and/or have at least one MA. Both FUAs and MAs are influenced by social determinants of health.

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Once-Daily Amikacin Dosing in Burn Patients Treated with Continuous Venovenous Hemofiltration

Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy ◽

10.1128/aac.00374-11 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 55 (10) ◽

pp. 4639-4642 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

Kevin S. Akers ◽

Jason M. Cota ◽

Christopher R. Frei ◽

Kevin K. Chung ◽

Katrin Mende ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Burn Injury ◽

Continuous Venovenous Hemofiltration ◽

Burn Patients ◽

Small Reduction ◽

Target Attainment ◽

Clinical Pharmacokinetics ◽

Once Daily ◽

Renal Replacement Therapies ◽

Rapid Clearance ◽

The Impact

ABSTRACTAmikacin clearance can be increased in burn injury, which is often complicated by renal insufficiency. Little is known about the impact of renal replacement therapies, such as continuous venovenous hemofiltration (CVVH), on amikacin pharmacokinetics. We retrospectively examined the clinical pharmacokinetics, bacteriology, and clinical outcomes of 60 burn patients given 15 mg/kg of body weight of amikacin in single daily doses. Twelve were treated with concurrent CVVH therapy, and 48 were not. The pharmacodynamic target of ≥10 for the maximum concentration of drug in serum divided by the MIC (Cmax/MIC) was achieved in only 8.5% of patients, with a small reduction ofCmaxin patients receiving CVVH and no difference in amikacin clearance. Mortality and burn size were greater in patients who received CVVH. Overall, 172 Gram-negative isolates were recovered from the blood cultures of 39 patients, with amikacin MIC data available for 82 isolates from 24 patients. A 10,000-patient Monte Carlo simulation was conducted incorporating pharmacokinetic and MIC data from these patients. The cumulative fraction of response (CFR) was similar in CVVH and non-CVVH patients. The CFR rates were not significantly improved by a theoretical 20 mg/kg amikacin dose. Overall, CVVH did not appear to have a major impact on amikacin serum concentrations. The low pharmacodynamic target attainment appears to be primarily due to higher amikacin MICs rather than more rapid clearance of amikacin related to CVVH therapy.

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Arginine Is a Critical Substrate for the Pathogenesis of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Burn Wound Infections

mBio ◽

10.1128/mbio.02160-16 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 8 (2) ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Jake Everett ◽

Keith Turner ◽

Qiuxian Cai ◽

Vernita Gordon ◽

Marvin Whiteley ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Antimicrobial Agents ◽

Hospital Setting ◽

Multidrug Resistant ◽

Burn Patients ◽

Burn Wound ◽

Burn Wounds ◽

Resistant Strains ◽

High Doses ◽

Ubiquitous Presence

ABSTRACT Environmental conditions affect bacterial behavior and can greatly influence the course of an infection. However, the environmental cues that elicit bacterial responses in specific infection sites are relatively unknown. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is ubiquitous in nature and typically innocuous. However, it is also one of the most prevalent causes of fatal sepsis in burn wound patients. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of environmental factors, specifically the availability of arginine, on the pathogenesis of P. aeruginosa in burn wound infections. Comparison of burned versus noninjured tissue revealed that l-arginine (l-Arg) was significantly depleted in burn wounds as a consequence of elevated arginase produced by myeloid-derived suppressor cells. We also observed that l-Arg was a potent chemoattractant for P. aeruginosa, and while low concentrations of l-Arg increased P. aeruginosa’s swimming motility, high concentrations resulted in diminished swimming. Based on these observations, we tested whether the administration of exogenous l-Arg into the burn wound could attenuate the virulence of P. aeruginosa in thermally injured mice. Administration of l-Arg resulted in decreased P. aeruginosa spread and sepsis and increased animal survival. Taken together, these data demonstrate that the availability of environmental arginine greatly influences the virulence of P. aeruginosa in vivo and may represent a promising phenotype-modulating tool for future therapeutic avenues. IMPORTANCE Despite our growing understanding of the pathophysiology of burn wounds and the evolution of techniques and practices to manage infections, sepsis remains a significant medical concern for burn patients. P. aeruginosa continues to be a leader among all causes of bacteremic infections due to its tendency to cause complications in immunocompromised patients and its ubiquitous presence in the hospital setting. With the unforgiving emergence of multidrug-resistant strains, it is critical that alternative strategies to control or prevent septic infections in burn patients be developed in parallel with novel antimicrobial agents. In this study, we observed that administration of l-Arg significantly reduced bacterial spread and sepsis in burned mice infected with P. aeruginosa. Given the safety of l-Arg in high doses and its potential wound-healing benefits, this conditionally essential amino acid may represent a useful tool to modulate bacterial behavior in vivo and prevent sepsis in burn patients. IMPORTANCE Despite our growing understanding of the pathophysiology of burn wounds and the evolution of techniques and practices to manage infections, sepsis remains a significant medical concern for burn patients. P. aeruginosa continues to be a leader among all causes of bacteremic infections due to its tendency to cause complications in immunocompromised patients and its ubiquitous presence in the hospital setting. With the unforgiving emergence of multidrug-resistant strains, it is critical that alternative strategies to control or prevent septic infections in burn patients be developed in parallel with novel antimicrobial agents. In this study, we observed that administration of l-Arg significantly reduced bacterial spread and sepsis in burned mice infected with P. aeruginosa. Given the safety of l-Arg in high doses and its potential wound-healing benefits, this conditionally essential amino acid may represent a useful tool to modulate bacterial behavior in vivo and prevent sepsis in burn patients.

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670 Delayed Enzymatic Debridement of Burn Wounds using the Proteolytic Gel SN514

Journal of Burn Care & Research ◽

10.1093/jbcr/irab032.316 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 42 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S191-S192

Author(s):

Angela R Jockheck-Clark ◽

Randolph Stone ◽

Michelle Holik ◽

Lucy Schaffer ◽

Shanmugasundaram Natesan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Burn Injury ◽

Vehicle Control ◽

Surrounding Tissue ◽

Burn Wound ◽

Burn Wounds ◽

Delayed Treatment ◽

Medical Evacuation ◽

Contamination Levels

Abstract Introduction Thermal burns account for 5–10% of casualties sustained in present-day conflicts and are expected to be one of the most common wounds to occur in future conflicts. In prolonged field care (PFC) situations, medical evacuation could be delayed for days. During this time, burn wounds can become infected, detrimentally impact neighboring tissue, and cause systemic immune responses. Therefore, it is essential to test and evaluate non-surgical debridement agents that could be implemented prior to reaching a Role 3 military treatment facility. This work details how the proprietary proteolytic gel SN514 impacts burn debridement when applied within a PFC-like timeline. SN514 contains an enzyme formulation that is thermostable, easy to apply, and selectively degrades non-viable tissue in vitro and in vivo. Methods Deep-partial thickness contact burns were created using an established porcine model and covered with gauze or an antimicrobial incise drape. Four days later, the burns were treated with one of five treatments: 0.2% SN514, 0.8% SN514, a vehicle control, gauze, or an antimicrobial silver dressing. Treatments were re-applied every 24 hours for 72 to 96 hours. The effects of the treatment regiments were compared histologically. Biopsies were also taken to monitor bacterial contamination levels. Results Burns treated with SN514 were partially debrided and visually distinct from those treated with gauze, the silver dressing, or the vehicle control. Preliminary analyses suggest that SN514-treated burns that had been covered with “dry” gauze had a much lower debridement efficiency than those treated with the incise drape. This suggests that SN514 debridement efficiency may depend on the presence of a moist eschar. Preliminary analyses also suggest that there was little difference in burn wound bacterial counts among the five treatment groups. Conclusions SN514 is able to debride burns that experienced delayed treatment, without any evidence of harm to the surrounding tissue or evidence of exacerbating the original burn injury. SN514-treated wounds displayed little to no blood loss and did not increase burn wound infection levels compared to wounds treated with gauze or an antimicrobial silver dressing.

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Malnutrition in Burns: A prospective, single center study

Journal of Burn Care & Research ◽

10.1093/jbcr/irab186 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Nancy Coutris ◽

Justin Peter Gawaziuk ◽

Saul Magnusson ◽

Sarvesh Logsetty

Keyword(s):

Burn Injury ◽

Nutrition Intervention ◽

Critically Ill Patient ◽

Burn Patients ◽

Significant Independent Predictor ◽

Single Center Study ◽

Multivariable Regression Model ◽

Resource Requirements ◽

Hospital Resources ◽

Multivariable Regression

Abstract The hypermetabolic response from burn injury is the highest of the critically ill patient population. When coupled with the hypermetabolic response, preexisting malnutrition may increase the hospital resources used. The goal of this study was to evaluate the rate of malnutrition in burn patients and the associated hospital resource utilization.We collected prospective data on burn patients ≥ 18 years with a burn ≥ 10% TBSA admitted to a regional burn center. Demographics, %TBSA, co-morbidities, length of stay (LOS) and standardized LOS (LOS/%TBSA) were evaluated on 49 patients. A multivariable regression model was constructed. Nutrition assessment was completed within 24-48 hours of admission including an SGA (Subjective Global Assessment) classification. SGA A (well-nourished) was compared to SGA B and C (malnourished). Fourteen patients (28.6%) in this study were malnourished. Malnourished patients were not statistically different with respect to median age (50 versus 39; p = 0.08] and BMI (22.9 versus 26.5; p = 0.08) compared to the well-nourished group. However, malnourished patients had significantly longer median LOS (21.0 versus 11.0 days, p = 0.01) and LOS/%TBSA (1.69 versus 0.83, p = 0.001) than the well-nourished group. Being malnourished was a significant independent predictor of above median LOS/%TBSA (p=0.027) with an odds ratio (OR) of 5.61 (95% C.I. 1.215-25.890).The rate of malnutrition is important given the high metabolic demands of these patients. Malnutrition increased the resource requirements via higher standardized LOS. This underscores the importance of completing SGA on admission to identify malnutrition early on to optimize nutrition intervention during the patients’ hospital stay.

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Epidemiology of injuries, treatment (costs) and outcome in burn patients admitted to a hospital with or without dedicated burn centre (Burn-Pro): protocol for a multicentre prospective observational study

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2018-023709 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 8 (11) ◽

pp. e023709 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Esther MM Van Lieshout ◽

Daan T Van Yperen ◽

Margriet E Van Baar ◽

Suzanne Polinder ◽

Doeke Boersma ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Observational Study ◽

Prospective Observational Study ◽

Burn Injury ◽

Treatment Costs ◽

Burn Patients ◽

Severe Burns ◽

Referral Criteria ◽

Age Limit

IntroductionThe Emergency Management of Severe Burns (EMSB) referral criteria have been implemented for optimal triaging of burn patients. Admission to a burn centre is indicated for patients with severe burns or with specific characteristics like older age or comorbidities. Patients not meeting these criteria can also be treated in a hospital without burn centre. Limited information is available about the organisation of care and referral of these patients. The aims of this study are to determine the burn injury characteristics, treatment (costs), quality of life and scar quality of burn patients admitted to a hospital without dedicated burn centre. These data will subsequently be compared with data from patients with<10% total bodysurface area (TBSA) burned who are admitted (or secondarily referred) to a burn centre. If admissions were in agreement with the EMSB, referral criteria will also be determined.Methods and analysisIn this multicentre, prospective, observational study (cohort study), the following two groups of patients will be followed: 1) all patients (no age limit) admitted with burn-related injuries to a hospital without a dedicated burn centre in the Southwest Netherlands or Brabant Trauma Region and 2) all patients (no age limit) with<10% TBSA burned who are primarily admitted (or secondarily referred) to the burn centre of Maasstad Hospital. Data on the burn injury characteristics (primary outcome), EMSB compliance, treatment, treatment costs and outcome will be collected from the patients’ medical files. At 3 weeks and at 3, 6 and 12 months after trauma, patients will be asked to complete the quality of life questionnaire (EuroQoL-5D), and the patient-reported part of the Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale (POSAS). At those time visits, the coordinating investigator or research assistant will complete the observer-reported part of the POSAS.Ethics and disseminationThis study has been exempted by the medical research ethics committee Erasmus MC (Rotterdam, The Netherlands). Each participant will provide written consent to participate and remain encoded during the study. The results of the study are planned to be published in an international, peer-reviewed journal.Trial registration numberNTR6565.

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Surviving Burn Injury: Drivers of Length of Hospital Stay

10.20944/preprints202012.0518.v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Chimdimma Noelyn Onah ◽

Richard Allmendinger ◽

Julia Handl ◽

Ken W Dunn

Keyword(s):

Mental Status ◽

Burn Injury ◽

Adult Population ◽

Length Of Hospital Stay ◽

Care Plan ◽

Burn Patients ◽

Effective Care ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Unitary Model ◽

Hospital Resources

With a reduction in the mortality rate of burn patients, patient length of stay (LOS) is increasingly adopted as an outcome measure. Some studies have attempted to identify factors that explain a burn patient's expected LOS. However, few have investigated the association between LOS and a patient's mental and socioeconomic status. There is anecdotal evidence for links between these factors and uncovering these will aid in better addressing the specific physical and emotional needs of burn patients, and facilitate the planning of scarce hospital resources. Here, we employ machine learning (clustering) and statistical models (regression) to investigate whether a segmentation by socioeconomic/mental status can improve the performance and interpretability of an upstream predictive model, relative to a unitary model derived for the full adult population of patients. Although we found no significant difference in the performance of the unitary model and segment-specific models, the interpretation of the segment-specific models reveals a reduced impact of burn severity in LOS prediction with increasing adverse socioeconomic and mental status. Furthermore, the models for the socioeconomic segments highlight an increased influence of living circumstances and source of injury on LOS. These findings suggest that, in addition to ensuring that the physical needs of patients are met, management of their mental status is crucial for delivering an effective care plan.

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