Burns : journal of the International Society for Burn Injuries
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Review Meta Analysis
The national burden of mortality and its associated factors among burn patients in Ethiopia. A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Despite all advances in burn prevention, treatment, acute care, and rehabilitation, burn injuries continue to cause significant mortality and disability in Ethiopia. Thus, this review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the pooled prevalence and the determinants of mortality in Ethiopia. ⋯ The national prevalence of mortality among burn patients in Ethiopia was high. The extent of burn, presence of comorbidity, and 3rd degree burns were significant predictors of mortality. We strongly recommend that health care workers give special attention to burn patients with greater extent and depth of burn, and for those who have comorbid diseases.
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Despite the multitude of preventative methods, postburn hand contractures are poorly controlled and often require surgery. However, there is no consensus on which hand reconstruction technique is most efficacious. This systematic review aims to compare the efficacy of available postburn hand contracture reconstruction techniques over the long term and to evaluate the quality of current literature. Effectiveness is assessed with functional improvement, increase of skin surface area, and scar quality/enhanced cosmesis. ⋯ No consensus remains on the superiority of a single reconstruction technique. Meticulous preoperative planning and intensive rehabilitation are vital. A stepwise approach, considering individual patient and contracture characteristics and the limitations of each technique, should be followed. Well-designed and conducted future studies, utilizing reliable and validated contracture description methods and outcome assessment, are now imperative.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Potential therapeutic effects of topical recombinant human erythropoietin on burn wound healing: A preliminary randomized double-blind controlled clinical trial.
Burn injuries can cause significant mortality and morbidity. This study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of topical recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO) on enhancing burn wound healing. ⋯ At the second follow-up visit, all parameters were significantly lower in the rhEPO group compared with the control group except for itchiness. The results of the next two follow-up sessions were also the same. The total value of the modified Vancouver Scar Scale (VSS) at days 5, 7, and 14 was significantly lower in the rhEPO group compared with the routine of care group. Trial Registry Date: 2022-03-02, Trial Registry number: IRCT20190810044500N23 CONCLUSIONS: The results of the present study suggested that topical rhEPO is a potential option in burn wounds and patient satisfaction, without causing intolerable side effects.
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The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of albumin administration on mortality in patients with severe burns. We retrospectively analyzed data from the Diagnosis Procedure Combination Database, a nationwide inpatient database in Japan. We identified patients in the database aged ≥ 15 years who were admitted with severe burns (burn index ≥15) from April 2014 to March 2021. ⋯ One-to-one propensity score matching generated 530 pairs of patients with and without albumin administration. The 28-day mortality did not differ significantly between the two groups (albumin vs. control, 21.7 % vs. 22.8 %; risk difference, -1.1 %; 95 % confidence interval, -6.1 % to +3.9 %). These results suggest that albumin administration within 2 days of admission in patients with severe burns may not be associated with mortality during the acute phase.
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This retrospective cohort study aimed to determine the sensitivity, specificity, and positive (PPV) and negative predictive values (NPV) of MRSA nasal swabs for pneumonia in burn-injured intensive care unit (ICU) patients. ⋯ The high specificity and NPV indicate that negative MRSA nasal swabs obtained less than seven days from antibiotic initiation may be used to de-escalate anti-MRSA antibiotics in clinically stable burn-injured patients with suspicion of pneumonia. The decrease in NPV suggests that it may be beneficial to obtain a repeat swab periodically.