Burns : journal of the International Society for Burn Injuries
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The use of robust evidence is a key component of providing high quality care to patients. Synthesised evidence to support clinical decision-making is lacking for many aspects of clinical burn care. ⋯ Such an exercise has yet to be undertaken in burns. The aim of this paper is to outline the importance of research prioritisation in burn care, to discuss how it facilitates the maximum benefit from limited research funding and to explain the methodologies used.
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Non-accidental scalds sustained with sugar solution are potentially devastating and often associated with assaults within prisons where they are commonly known as 'Napalm' attacks. However, little is known about the mechanism behind such injuries. Proposed explanations have included a higher initial temperature, increased viscosity compared to water and lower emissivity, although these have yet to be demonstrated in any experimental model. ⋯ Our report finds that higher concentrations of boiled sugar solution caused a higher initial temperature of burn but did not influence cooling rates. This suggests that 'Prison Napalm' attacks will indeed cause more severe burns than those utilising plain water, but not for all the widely believed reasons. We therefore recommend that access to kettles in prison cells should be limited, but where such access is deemed a right, consideration should be given to temperature restricted devices, as is the case in other countries.