Burns : journal of the International Society for Burn Injuries
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This study investigated aetiology of burn cases presenting to the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh to identify factors that influence the number of outpatient visits patients make to the Plastic Dressing Clinic (PDC) following discharge. ⋯ Outpatient utilisation of the PDC can be predicted from burn characteristics. Full thickness burn, skin graft and pressure garment therapy are identified to significantly increase the number of PDC appointments following paediatric burn.
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Burn scars and other forms of extensive cheek deformities are a tragedy for patients and pose a great challenge to surgeons due to limited availability of well-matching donor sites. The skin of distant regions and skin transplants contrasts with the facial skin. The most suitable site for tissue in cheek reconstruction is the neck, but this resource is limited. Cervical skin expansion is often complicated by tissue necrosis. A new approach (technique) for resurfacing the scarred cheek with a split cervical flap is presented in this paper. ⋯ Good cosmetic outcomes make this technique preferable for adults and children, and the technique is indicated as the first step for deformed cheek resurfacing for patients with uninjured neck.
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The Edendale Hospital Burn Service was initiated in 2011 to improve the quality of burn care at a regional hospital. This audit reviews the merits and challenges in developing such a service and identifies areas on which to focus quality improvement initiatives. ⋯ We have redesigned the process of care without alteration of resources. Outcomes of burns less than 30% total body surface area are not acceptable which we believe reflects the lack of infrastructure and systems development. This audit has revealed a number of areas, which are suitable for dedicated quality improvement initiatives.
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The use of cell therapy to improve burn wound healing is limited as a validated cell source is not rapidly available after injury. Progenitor cells have shown potential to drive the intrinsic wound regeneration. Two sources of cells, allogeneic mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) and autologous culture modified monocytes (CMM), were assessed for their ability to influence burn wound healing. ⋯ Labelled MSC and CMM were identified in the wounds after 2 weeks by immunohistochemistry and FACS. A single application of allogeneic MSC improves the rate of burn wound healing and improves the histological appearance of the burn wound. These cells show potential as a cell therapy that is rapidly available following burn.
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Non-severe burn injury leads to depletion of bone volume that can be ameliorated by inhibiting TNF-α
Bone loss after severe burn injury is well established, and is thought to be a consequence of the severe hyper-metabolic response as well as changes in cytokine and glucocorticoid levels that decrease bone synthesis and increase rate of loss. However, 90% of presentations are for non-severe burns which do not elicit this response. Little is known about whether these non-severe injuries may also affect bone tissue, and whether other mechanisms may be involved. ⋯ There was no significant change observed in cortical bone after burn injury or administration of anti-TNF-α antibodies. These findings show that non-severe burn injury can lead to changes in bone metabolism. Monitoring bone density in patients with non-severe injuries and interventions to limit the impacts of the inflammatory storm may benefit patient recovery and outcomes.