Burns : journal of the International Society for Burn Injuries
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Burn injuries are to this day a major cause of morbidity and mortality, especially within low- and middle-income countries. Understanding the etiology of burn injury and epidemiologic- and hospital-specific factors associated with burns is vital for allotting resources for prevention and treatment. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to develop a profile of epidemiological differences in burn care and the ideal burn dressing among the different continents based on a global online survey. ⋯ Our results suggest significant epidemiological differences regarding burn injuries and care amongst the continents, possibly resulting from the different infrastructure and/or circumstances on the various continents. Future scientific studies need to focus on adequate pain management and designing longer lasting materials that contain the "ideal" properties, by also taking individual regional needs/desires and the patient's perspective and economic boundaries into account. This analysis has delivered valuable insights into the epidemiological differences and/or similarities amongst the various continents.
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Multicenter Study
Reliability and feasibility of skeletal muscle ultrasound in the acute burn setting.
Despite the impact of muscle wasting after burn, tools to quantify muscle wasting are lacking. This multi-centre study examined the utility of ultrasound to measure muscle mass in acute burn patients comparing different methodologies. ⋯ Ultrasound provides feasible and reliable values of quadriceps muscle architecture that can be adapted to clinical scenarios commonly encountered in acute burn settings.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
A six-week physical therapy exercise program delivered via home-based telerehabilitation is comparable to in-person programs for patients with burn injuries: A randomized, controlled, non-inferiority clinical pilot trial.
Exercise programmes are essential for burn rehabilitation, however patients often have barriers accessing these services. Home-based telerehabilitation (HBT) may be an alternative. This study aimed to determine if exercise programs delivered via HBT were as effective as in-person (IP) programs with respect to clinical outcomes and participant and therapist satisfaction. ⋯ HBT is a safe, effective option to deliver exercise programs for patients with burn injuries ≤ 25% TBSA with comparable clinical outcomes to in-person programmes. Ongoing research is required to further analyze ROM and investigate the effectiveness of HBT for patients with larger burns.
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Multicenter Study
Establishment of the German Burn Registry - five years of prospective data collection.
From 1991-2014, all major burn centers of the German-speaking countries participated in a multicenter study in which essentially demographic data were collected. Individual patient data was located at the particular burn centers and only cumulated data were summarized annually for presentation. Retrospective statistical analysis of the entire data collection and identification of subgroups was not possible. In 2015 the German Burn Registry was established for prospective collection of individual patient data as a tool for quality management (QM) and for scientific analyses. ⋯ A registry is mandatory for quality assurance in burn medicine, since realization of randomized studies is difficult due to the heterogeneity of burn injuries. The German Burn Registry already is one of the biggest burn registries in Europe. Several scientific projects, based on the registry database, are in working process or have already been published.