Burns : journal of the International Society for Burn Injuries
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Over a 10-year period 110 patients over the age of 65 years were admitted to the Burn Center, Rui Jin Hospital and 36 (32.7 per cent) died. Significant differences between the survivors and non-survivors were related to the total burn surface area and full skin thickness burn size. Among the causes of death, pre-existing cardiopulmonary diseases and associated inhalation injury were particularly important since pneumonia was considered as a primary cause of death in 13 patients, myocardial disease in two, cor-pulmonale and heart failure in two. Care of the early fluid resuscitation, early excision of deep burn wounds and grafting, prevention or treatment of a variety of life-threatening complications, and nutritional supplementation appeared to decrease the mortality of aged burn patients.
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The occurrence of hypertrophic scarring in burn-injured children under the age of 5 years was studied by examining the records of patients admitted to the Wessex Regional Burns Unit in the years 1968 and 1984. In both years the pattern and nature of injury to the children was the same. The incidence of scar hypertrophy was at least 50 per cent in both years. The occurrence of hypertrophic scarring in these 2 years did not appear to have been influenced by changes in clinical practice.
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Comparative Study
Systemic absorption of sulphadiazine, silver sulphadiazine and sodium sulphadiazine through human burn wounds.
Systemic absorption of water-soluble and water-insoluble drugs through human burn wounds was compared. Serum levels of sulphadiazine were estimated after application of silver sulphadiazine (water-insoluble) cream, sulphadiazine (water-insoluble) cream and sodium sulphadiazine (water-soluble) cream. It was found that the absorption of sodium sulphadiazine was greater than that of sulphadiazine or silver sulphadiazine.
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Comparative Study
Histological and bacteriological studies of burn wounds treated with boiled potato peel dressings.
Histological and clinical studies have been made on comparable burn wounds covered with either boiled potato peels affixed to gauze bandages or gauze dressings alone; both dressings were applied over a thin layer of 5 per cent silver sulphadiazine. Compared with treatment with plain gauze dressings, the application of the potato peel dressing reduced or eliminated dessication, permitted the survival of superficial skin cells and hastened epithelial regeneration. Bacteriological studies showed that the potato peels had no intrinsic antibacterial activity, the wounds beneath both dressings showing either no growth or, on most occasions, the same bacterial species. The easy availability of potato peels and gauze bandages on to which they can be affixed, the simplicity of the preparation of this dressing, the ease of sterilization and its low cost of production make this the dressing of choice for burn wounds in our developing country.