Burns : journal of the International Society for Burn Injuries
-
Randomized Controlled Trial
Community partnership to promote home fire safety in children with special needs.
Parents of children with special needs are vigilant as their child may have difficulty independently escaping a burning home. The purpose of this study was to evaluate if providing home fire safety information via a digital video disc (DVD) increases families' knowledge, behavior and ability regarding home fire safety. ⋯ Parents of children with special needs had a significant increase in knowledge and behavior over those parents of children without special needs. They also perceived having a high fire safety ability. Many of the post-test questions/behaviors (e.g., capable of exiting home during a fire, etc.) were reported at 100%. The intervention was well received, but may not necessarily be needed. Focus for home fire safety may need to look at younger children and smaller families. Parents of special needs children may have had frequent interaction with health care professionals.
-
Ninety-five percent of burn deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs); however, longitudinal household-level studies have not been done in urban slum settings, where overcrowding and unsafe cook stoves may increase likelihood of injury. ⋯ The incidence of burns, 10-fold greater than in most published reports from Africa and Asia, suggests that such injuries may contribute more significantly than previously thought to morbidity in LMICs, and may be increased by urbanization. As migration from rural areas into urban slums rapidly increases in many African countries, characterizing and addressing the rising burden of burns is likely to become a public health priority.
-
The standard of care for deep burns is autologous split thickness skin grafting. Although adequate to resurface a deep wound, the resulting skin is chronically abnormal. The purpose of this study was to describe the experience of patients with split thickness skin grafts to help guide future investigations related to skin regeneration. ⋯ Eight male patients and four female patients 20-62 years old ranging 2-29 months post-skin grafting were enrolled in the study. The most significant concerns voiced by patients were identified and organized into five themes: (1) a new normal, (2) split thickness skin graft symptoms, (3) appearance of new skin, (4) coping, and (5) participation in future clinical trials. Participants reported that the abnormalities related to their split thickness skin grafts were significant enough that they would be willing to participate in a future clinical trial investigating new cell-based therapies.
-
The aim of this study was to review clinical data and outcomes of patients with burns in a Mexican non-burn intensive care unit (ICU). ⋯ We identified significant factors associated with mortality. These variables and prognosis from non-burn ICUs differ broadly compared with burn intensive care units (BICUs); thus, more structured, multidisciplinary and specialised treatment strategies are still needed.
-
The epidemiology, referral patterns and outcome of patients admitted to a tertiary burns unit in southern Africa were reviewed. ⋯ The epidemiology and outcome of severe burns referred to the Burns Centre at IALCH is similar to those in other units in Africa. The management and referral of burns patients by other hospitals are inappropriate in a significant number of patients.