Burns : journal of the International Society for Burn Injuries
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Acinetobacter baumannii infection is a serious threat to burn patients. Bacteremia due to A. baumannii is becoming the most common cause of mortality following burn. However, the epidemiology of A. baumannii causing burn-related bloodstream infections has rarely been reported. ⋯ The above results indicated that ST368 isolates possessing both the blaOXA-23-like gene and ampC gene were the main culprits of the increasing nosocomial A. baumannii infection in this study. More attention should be paid to monitoring the molecular epidemiology of A. baumannii isolates from burn patients to prevent further distribution. Such information may help clinicians with therapeutic decisions and infection control in the Burns Institute.
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Since 2005, the Western Australian paediatric burn unit has provided a state-wide clinical consultancy and support service for the assessment and management of acute and rehabilitative burn patients via its telehealth service. Since then, the use of this telehealth service has steadily increased as it has become imbedded in the model of care for paediatric burn patients. Primarily, the service involves acute and long term patient reviews conducted by the metropolitan-located burn unit in contact with health practitioners, advising patients and their families who reside outside the metropolitan area thereby avoiding unnecessary transfers and inpatient bed days. A further benefit of the paediatric burn service using telehealth is more efficient use of tertiary level burn unit beds, with only those patients meeting clinical criteria for admission being transferred. ⋯ This study demonstrates avoided patient transfers, inpatient bed days and associated costs as the result of an integrated burns telehealth service.
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To describe the epidemiology of pediatric burn patients seen in U.S. emergency departments (EDs) and to determine factors associated with inter-facility transfer. ⋯ Over 90% of pediatric burn ED patients meet ABA burn referral criteria but are not transferred from low volume hospitals. Perhaps a portion of the 92% of patients currently receiving definitive care in low volume hospitals are under-referred and would have improved clinical outcomes if transferred at the time of presentation.