• Shelley L Wall, Nikki L Allorto, and Verusia Chetty.
• Pietermaritzburg Burn Service, Pietermaritzburg Metropolitan Department of Surgery, Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa; and, Developing Research, Innovation, Localization and Leadership (DRILL), College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban. shelley_wall@hotmail.com.
• S Afr Fam Pract (2004). 2021 Feb 23; 63 (1): e1-e7.

BackgroundDespite the exceptional burden of burns in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) and the importance of adequate analgesia in burn care, there is a lack of analgesia protocol developed in resource-scarce settings. This necessitates the development of an analgesia protocol applicable to the resource-scarce setting. This study presents the findings of a modified Delphi study aimed at achieving consensus by a panel of experts in the management of burn injuries from low- and middle-income settings across Africa.MethodsA two-round Delphi survey was conducted to achieve consensus on an analgesia protocol for paediatric burn patients for a resource-limited setting. The Delphi panel consisted of nine experts with experience in management of burn injuries in low-income settings.ResultsConsensus was determined by an a priori threshold of 80% of agreement for a drug to be included in the analgesia protocol. There was a largely overarching agreement with regard to the background analgesia protocol and strong agreement regarding the use of an initial dose of ketamine and midazolam for procedural sedation.ConclusionA modified Delphi method was used to obtain expert consensus for a recently adopted analgesia protocol for burn-injured children in a resource-limited setting, with experts in the management of burn injuries in low- and middle-income settings. The expert consensus leads to the rigour and robustness of the protocol. Delphi methods are exceptionally valuable in healthcare research and the aim of such studies is to find converging expert opinions.

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