Burns : journal of the International Society for Burn Injuries
-
The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of anxiety, depression and PTSD-related symptoms reported by spouses and close relatives of adult burn survivors. Potential associations between these symptoms and variables such as the severity of the burn were also explored. ⋯ Spouses and close relatives of burn survivors showed high levels of psychological distress in the first few days following admission, and more than a quarter still reported symptoms in the clinical range at discharge. Our analysis points to the need to offer psychological support and guidance to family members so that they can in turn provide effective support to the burn survivor.
-
The back is a challenging anatomical area to resurface in acute burns due to its large surface area, its dependent position with the patient lying down and the shearing forces applied to any method of resurfacing employed. This case study presents the use of Vivostat(®) (Vivostat A/S, Lillerød, Denmark) in resurfacing the back in conjunction with Recell(®) regenerative epithelial suspension. Vivostat(®) (Vivostat A/S, Lillerød, Denmark) is a "novel patented biotechnological process that enables reproducible preparation of autologous fibrin sealant or platelet rich fibrin without cryoprecipitation or a separate thrombin component" [1]. ⋯ NICE (The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) states that Recell(®) shows potential to improve healing in acute burns and we believe that its co-delivery with fibrin via Vivostat(®) (Vivostat A/S, Lillerød, Denmark) allows for precise delivery of the fibrin suspended cells while minimising loss in the "run off" encountered when Recell(®) is just simply sprayed on, assisting the anchoring of keratinocytes to the wound surface and thus aiding in the treatment of challenging areas.
-
To evaluate the current characteristics of bathroom scald injuries in Queensland Children. ⋯ This study provides important insights into paediatric bathroom scald injuries and will assist with the development of prevention strategies.
-
Scald burns, which heal in less than 14 days, are seen to be at low risk of hypertrophic scar (HTS) formation. Consequently surgery is usually reserved for scalds likely to take more than 14 days to heal. With the use of silver based dressings over the past few years, anecdotally, we have observed a tendency to improved healing of scalds with conservative management and reduced need for surgical intervention. We aimed to investigate the effect of overall healing time of paediatric scalds on HTS formation over a five-year period (2011-15). ⋯ Our study confirms that there is a link between prolonged healing time of scald wounds and HTS. The danger of slow healing for scarring despite grafting, suggests this operation should be performed earlier than current practice to allow complete healing in less than 3 weeks.
-
Case Reports
A case report on a burned ear: Elastic memory of cartilage following temporary burial in a skin pocket.
Preserving exposed ear cartilage following a facial burn remains a major challenge. Normally, burned ear cartilage cannot be preserved in case of a full thickness burn of the overlying skin, and the cartilage has to be surgically removed. ⋯ We report a case where burned ear cartilage was directly surgically buried in a retroauricular skin pocket showing remarkable elastic memory: the buried ear cartilage, in this case the antihelix, regenerated over time and regained its original position protruding from the facial area. This case illustrates that ear cartilage is highly resilient, even when it has sustained significant thermal damage, and can be buried in a retroauricular skin pocket to avoid radical excision of the framework.