Burns : journal of the International Society for Burn Injuries
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Literature examining the impact of obesity on burn injury remains mixed. Previous examination of the National Burn Repository, now the BCQP, in obesity-related burn research is limited. The aim of this work was to provide an assessment of the BCQP dataset to examine the effect of obesity on burn-related outcomes. ⋯ The presence of obesity in this dataset was not found to be a predictor of mortality for any burn size, but was a predictor of overall LOS, ICU LOS, and total hospital costs. Including obesity-related variables in databases may improve analysis in obesity-related burn research.
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Blood loss during burn surgery significantly contributes to morbidity and mortality. Tranexamic acid (TXA), an antifibrinolytic agent, is hypothesized to reduce intraoperative bleeding. This double-blinded, randomized clinical trial aimed to assess the efficacy of systemic TXA in severe burn patients (total body surface area [TBSA] > 20 %) undergoing surgery. ⋯ Results demonstrated significant reductions in blood loss (P = 0.043), total IV fluid volume (P = 0.021), OR time (P = 0.002), LOS (P = 0.0001), and transfusions (P = 0.024) in the TXA group. Notably, women and patients without inhalation injuries exhibited better responses to TXA treatment, and graft survival was lower in the TXA group. The study concludes that IV TXA administration during burn surgery can reduce bleeding, minimize IV fluid and blood transfusion needs, and shorten surgery duration, enhancing overall surgical outcomes.
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Despite progress in medical and surgical treatments of wounds, bioactive compounds still offer an effective and safe approach to accelerate wound healing (WH). In this review, recent results of studies on WH by essential oils (EOs) and their terpenoids are reported. Mechanisms of action of these substances and their possible use in drug delivery systems (DDSs) for WH are discussed. ⋯ There is much evidence that EOs can promote WH. Advancement of nanotechnology in recent years has contributed to improving use of EO with DDSs in WH management. However, some limitations need to be addressed to achieve the translation of this technology into clinical applications for wound treatment.
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Access to healthcare and insurance coverage are associated with quality of life, morbidity, and mortality outcomes. However, most studies have only focused on same-admission and short-term outcomes due to the lack of national longitudinal datalthere are limited data on this topic in the burn literature. Our aim was to determine the effect of insurance status on long-term outcomes in a national sample of burn patients. ⋯ Having Medicaid and Medicare insurance was significantly associated with a lower health-related quality of life at long-term follow up, even after adjusting for demographics and burn injury severity.
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To identify burn patients needing intensive rehabilitation based on discharge symptoms. ⋯ We identify distinct burn patient clusters based on discharge symptoms, with Cluster 3 exhibiting the highest post-discharge healthcare needs. BURN-OP (https://burn-op.streamlit.app/) identifies high-risk patients, offering a tool for prioritizing interventions and designing trials that mitigate risk of Cluster 3 membership.