Burns : journal of the International Society for Burn Injuries
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By analyzing the epidemic characteristics of pediatric burns in a burn center serving large areas of Hubei Provence and partly surrounding provinces around Wuhan City, the aim of this study is to provide better strategies for the prevention and care for pediatric burns. ⋯ Pediatric burns in central China was still common and even increasing. Majority of the pediatric burn victims were boys under three years old, while the mean ages of different etiologies varied from about 2-6 years old. Education and prevention aiming the high risks are the key point to decrease pediatric burns.
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Laser Doppler imaging (LDI) is still not an ubiquitous part of burn care worldwide despite reported accuracy rates of more than 95%, which is significantly higher than clinical assessment alone (50-75%). The aims of Part I of this survey study are: to identify the most important barriers for the use of LDI and to provide useful recommendations for efficient implementation in routine burn care. The actual interpretation and use of LDI measurements is discussed in the Enigma Part II article. ⋯ Barriers for the routine implementation of LDI were: 1. cost of purchasing and using an LDI combined with health care systems that inadequately reimburse non-surgical management; 2. lack of awareness of or ongoing skepticism towards the scientific evidence supporting LDI use; and 3. organizational constraints combined with logistical limitations. Our recommendations for wider use of LDI technology include: 1. a cost-effective reimbursement of LDI use combined with a more appropriate valuation of expert conservative management compared to surgical therapy; 2. increased use of LDI for every mixed depth burn and; 3. specialized LDI teams to improve burn procedural flexibility and to enable embedding LDI use in the burn care routine. Implementing these measures would promote the highest standards for LDI measurements and interpretation resulting in optimal care with mutual benefits for the hospital, for burn care teams and, most importantly, for the patients.
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Observational Study
Quantification of the negative impact of sedation and inotropic support on achieving early mobility in burn patients in ICU: A single center observational study.
Early rehabilitation for burns survivors in the intensive care unit (ICU) is arguably more challenging than the general population. Early achievement of functional verticality milestones (FVMs) has the potential to ameliorate the detrimental effects of bed rest and immobility observed in ICU patients and reduce healthcare costs. However, the time to achieving FVMs after burn injury is influenced by factors such as sedation practices, cardiovascular stability, mechanical ventilation, acute skin reconstruction and length of stay (LOS) during the acute intensive care period. ⋯ Maintaining sedation and agitation scores within the optimal range, and minimising sedative infusion and inotropic support enhances the likelihood of early and frequent mobilization in patients with burns admitted to ICU. Additional barriers identified were mechanical ventilation, burns surgery, pre-ICU practices and ICU length of stay. The challenge for clinicians moving forward is to determine how these factors may be modified to increase early mobilization of burn patients in ICU.