Burns : journal of the International Society for Burn Injuries
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Animal studies indicate treating burn injuries with running water (first aid) for 20min up to 3h post-burn reduces healing time and scarring. There is a lack of human data to support such a recommendation. The purpose of this cohort study was to assess the effect of first aid on clinical outcomes. ⋯ Adequate first aid with 20min of running water is associated with improved outcomes. Benefits are seen in a reduction in wound depth, faster healing, and decreased grafting requirements. This has significant patient and health system benefits, and calls for promotion of 20min of running water globally in burns care.
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A numerical-based model was developed and implemented to determine the spatial and temporal temperature distributions within skin tissue resulting from thermal contact with a heated and high thermal conductivity metallic medium. In the presence of wet tissue, boiling is likely to occur, thereby affecting the probability of inducing burns. This investigation deals with how contact between a hot, highly conductive metallic material and skin gives rise to burns. ⋯ Multiple processes and their governing parameters were investigated to assess their impact on burn severity, including the temperature of the metal, the duration of contact, the contact resistance between the surface and the skin, the temperature range over which phase change occurred, and the cooling environment after the exposure. It was discovered that the most important parameters are the surface temperature and exposure duration. The other conditions/parameters had lesser impacts on the results.
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Pediatric burns are preventable with legislative and infrastructural changes. Although retrospective audits of many low- and middle-income countries have aided preventative efforts, the epidemiological status of burns in the Caribbean is not known. This study characterizes pediatric burns in the Dominican Republic (DR) and compares these to age-matched North American records captured by the National Burn Repository. ⋯ This investigation identifies a demographical profile where electrical burns account for a significant percentage of the burn population. This provides a basis for concentrating preventative efforts in vulnerable populations.
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Prescription opioid misuse is an epidemic international health crisis. Although burn providers are increasingly mindful of balancing pain relief with risk of opioid dependence, several burn centers have noticed their patients are still receiving an increased amount of opioids, termed "opioid creep." We examined discharge narcotic prescriptions at a single burn center in the Midwest United States and found that patients discharged in 2015 received nearly twice the amount of narcotics (mean=600 morphine equivalents [ME]) than those discharged in 2008 (mean=350 ME), with a significantly increased likelihood of a more complex narcotic discharge regimen. ⋯ Although such increase in opioid prescription is undesirable, so too is regression to historical under-treatment of burn pain. Protocoled pain-management order sets on admission and discharge, as well as incorporation of alternatives adjuncts to lessen pain, may allow for better pain control with less opioid misuse.
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Burn injuries to workers can have a devastating impact, however knowledge of the epidemiology of work-related burn injuries in Australia and New Zealand is limited. ⋯ Almost one in five cases of working-aged people admitted to Australian and New Zealand burns centres was work-related. Through identification of vulnerable groups, this study informs policy and strategies to minimise occupational burn risk.