Burns : journal of the International Society for Burn Injuries
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Bioimpedance spectroscopy (BIS) is a tool utilized in health care to investigate body composition and fluid distribution. Limited research has addressed the clinical use of BIS in burns. This study aimed to examine the effects of silver dressings on BIS measurements in burns patients. ⋯ There were significant interactions between dressing condition, %TBSA and body mass, whereby the difference in ECF, ICF and TBW between the ND and AD conditions were increased as %TBSA and body mass increased. Algorithms were developed subsequently to adjust BIS outputs for use when AD is in place. Clinician's may continue to use BIS in real-time using the predictive algorithms established during this study.
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For more than 40 years, silver sulphadiazine 1% (SSD) is considered as standard therapy for the conservative treatment of burn wounds. However, in the last 10 years, substantial disadvantages of SSD have been reported in the literature and probably as a result of this, several new dressings for burn wounds have been developed and put on the market. The objective of this systematic review is to evaluate the available evidence on SSD in the conservative treatment of burns, specifically in comparison with the newer burn dressings that are increasingly being used nowadays. ⋯ The results of this systematic review clearly demonstrate that a faster wound healing is obtained with the newly developed burn dressings. Additionally, these new dressings tend to be more comfortable for the patients and easier to use for care givers. The minor differences in antibacterial activity between SSD and the new products did not seem to have any influence on the rate of wound healing. Since rapid wound closure is essential to obtain an optimal functional and aesthetic outcome, it can be concluded from the results of this systemic review that the standard use of SSD in the conservative treatment of burn wounds can no longer be supported.
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Ear reconstruction remains a challenging procedure, especially in burn victims. The ear is particularly vulnerable to thermal injury because of its location and the thin integument. The thermal injury could subsequently include skin and the deeper located auricular cartilage framework. ⋯ Furthermore, 3D (bio)printing of cartilage to facilitate reproduction of the ear's complex shape certainly has potential and might find an interesting role in ear reconstruction. In this review, different clinical challenges and options for ear reconstruction in burn patients are described. Subsequently, although still far from large scale clinical application, state of the art developments in the field of tissue engineering and 3D (bio)printing are also discussed.
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To link, classify and describe the content of the Multicenter Benchmarking Study Burn Outcomes Questionnaires (BOQ) using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) to determine if the information garnered provides researchers with the data necessary to develop a comprehensive understanding of life after burns. ⋯ BOQ item composition could be improved with a more even distribution of pertinent ICF topics. Assessment authors may consider addressing the impact of environmental factors on participation. Including body structure concepts would allow investigators to track structural deformation and/or developmental delay. Generally speaking, this data should not be used to examine quality of life outcomes.