Burns : journal of the International Society for Burn Injuries
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Enzymatic debridement of burn eschar became an accepted and widely used technique for burn wound treatment over the last years. However, this practice is not exempt from failure and recent experimental studies indicate that it may not be as efficient in scalds as in flame burns. ⋯ This study indicates that enzymatic debridement may not be as effective in scalds as in flame burns. It was shown that patients with scalds and subsequent enzymatic debridement more frequently underwent additional surgical intervention and that the size of the transplanted area was larger compared to control. Moreover, those patients had a longer length of stay at the hospital per %TBSA burned.
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Children and adolescents recovering from burn injury are at heightened risk of psychosocial problems. An integrative form of psychosocial intervention is burn camp. However, evidence about burn camp effectiveness is equivocal. ⋯ Although this is the first known research about burn camp in Australia, the findings are similar to a handful of other qualitative studies about burn camp experiences and impacts. Recommendations include future research on aspects of camp experiences that contribute to targeted outcomes, the role of staff and previous camp participants as mentors, and comparisons with other psychosocial interventions for youth burn survivors.
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Clinical Trial
Burn depth assessment using hyperspectral imaging in a prospective single center study.
The assessment of thermal burn depth remains challenging. Over the last decades, several optical systems were developed to determine burn depth. So far, only laser doppler imaging (LDI) has been shown to be reliable while others such as infrared thermography or spectrophotometric intracutaneous analysis have been less accurate. The aim of our study is to evaluate hyperspectral imaging (HSI) as a new optical device. ⋯ Changes in microcirculation within the first 72 h after thermal trauma were reflected by an increasing BI in both groups. After 72 h, the BI is able to predict the need for a skin graft with a sensitivity of 92% and a specificity of 71%.
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Skin pigmentation disorders are one of the most frequent sequelae after burn injury. While these conditions often improve over time, some are permanent and cause severe psychological disorders (especially on the face). Given the frequency of these disorders and their benign nature, the scientific community has great difficulty postponing these patient follow-ups. Publications on their management are rare, and there is no consensus on the gold standard treatment for skin dyschromia. Herein, we performed a literature review including the various treatments currently proposed to manage these hyperpigmentations. ⋯ Dyschromia after burn remains a therapeutic challenge. Hyperpigmentations after burn should be treated on a case-by-case basis, using data from the literature, clinical experience and measuring the risk/benefit ratio.
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Skin breakdown, as in wounds, leads to an electric potential, defined as current of injury with the intent of wound closure. Burn wounds are defined by different zones of perfusion having a direct influence on further therapy (e.g. conservative management or skin grafting). We studied immediate, quantifiable effects of electric stimulation on skin perfusion in burn wounds. ⋯ III.