Journal of burn care & research : official publication of the American Burn Association
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Multicenter Study
Pruritus in pediatric burn survivors: defining the clinical course.
Pruritus is a frequent and severe symptom and a significant cause of distress for adult burn patients. Its effects in children are largely unstudied. The aim of this study is to characterize postburn itch in the pediatric population. ⋯ There was no association between itch intensity and burn etiology, age, gender, or burn size. Pruritus is a frequent complication that lasts for at least 2 years after injury in a majority of pediatric burn survivors. This information will enable better tracking of outcomes and will serve as a baseline for assessing interventions.
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Advancing age is associated with increased mortality despite smaller burn size. Chronic conditions are common in the elderly with resulting polypharmacy. The Comorbidity-Polypharmacy Score (CPS) facilitates quantitative assessment of the severity of comorbid conditions, or physiologic age. ⋯ CPS (OR 1.81) was an independent predictor of discharge to a facility CPS but not of mortality. While increasing CPS was associated with lower TBSA, mortality remained unchanged. CPS is an independent predictor of in-hospital complications and need for transfer to extended care facilities in older burn patients, which can be determined at the stage of admission to help direct patient management.
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Between 1990 and 2012, 2775 firefighters were killed in the line of duty. Myocardial infarction (MI) was responsible for approximately 40% of these mortalities, followed by mechanical trauma, asphyxiation, and burns. Protective gear, safety awareness, medical care, and the age of the workforce have evolved since 1990, possibly affecting the nature of mortality during this 22-year time period. ⋯ In the current decade, line-of-duty mortality is more likely to occur during training. Mortality from burns, asphyxiation, and electrocution has decreased; but death from MI and CVA has increased, particularly in older firefighters. Outreach and education should be targeted toward vehicle safety, welfare during training, and cardiovascular disease prevention in the firefighter population.
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The use of cannabis is currently increasing according to U. S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). ⋯ These patients are younger and are less likely to be insured. These patients also have larger burns, spend more time in ICUs, and have a greater number of operations. The increasing use of cannabis, as expected from legalization of cannabis in multiple states, among burn patient population may lead to increased burden on already tenuous health care resources.
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With longer life expectancy, the number of burn injuries in the elderly continues to increase. Prediction of outcomes for the elderly is complicated by preinjury physical fitness and comorbid illness. The authors hypothesize that admission frailty assessment would be predictive of outcomes in the elderly burn population. ⋯ Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed high admission FS independently increased the risk of discharge to SNF (odds ratio of 2.5 [1.3-4.8, 95% confidence interval]) and increased the risk of mortality (odds ratio of 1.67 [1.01-2.7, 95% confidence interval]). Frailty scores on admission allow for a more complete assessment of elderly patients and can be used to establish benchmark models for burn injury outcomes. In addition FS can be used as a research tool to improve outcomes for elderly burn injured patients.