Burns : journal of the International Society for Burn Injuries
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Multicenter Study
Opioid prescription and opioid disorders in burns: A large database analysis from 1990 to 2019.
Opioids remain crucial in the management of burn pain. A comprehensive analysis of opioid use in burns and their complications has not been investigated. ⋯ The risk of opioid-related disorders has nearly doubled since the year 2000 warranting precautions when prescribing pain medications to burn patients.
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Differing findings concerning outcomes for burn patients with obesity indicate additional factors at play. One possible explanation could lie in determining metabolically healthy versus unhealthy obesity, which necessitates further study. ⋯ Increased baseline glucose levels indicate increased mortality in obese patients with burn injuries, emphasizing the differentiation between metabolically unhealthy versus healthy obesity.
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Frostbite is an insidious disease that normally affects people of cold climates. Winter Storm Uri, which occurred from February 12-20, 2021, created unique metrological conditions for Texas. It caused prolonged sub-freezing temperatures and led to rolling blackouts, affecting 2.8 million Texans including 300,000 people in San Antonio. We report 13 frostbite patients admitted to one burn center during this event. ⋯ In a region unaccustomed and perhaps unprepared to deal with winter storms, the population is particularly vulnerable to frostbite. Lack of awareness of frostbite injuries likely led to the delay in the presentation of patients, which prevented the timely use of tPA. Increasing public awareness may increase readiness.
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Depression has been associated with poorer postburn functional outcomes. However, whether or not certain burn specific coping strategies moderate the relationships remains unknown. Burn survivors from 2015 Formosa Fun Coast Water Park explosion were recruited in a 3-year follow-up study. ⋯ Depression was significantly and negatively correlated with quality of life at low and medium levels of optimism/problem solving but not high. Our study provided evidence supporting early identification and intervention of depression in burn survivors to optimize functional outcomes. Such knowledge may provide insights into potential targets in rehabilitation in depressed burn survivors.
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Quick, easy access to data-driven community risk assessment principles and to related community risk reduction activities can encourage fire departments to learn about, conduct, and complete district risk reduction practices. With the ultimate goal of creating web-based community risk assessment and community risk reduction resources, we first evaluated fire department needs. ⋯ Respondents described data use for community risk assessment and for planning community risk reduction activities; how a lack of time, personnel, and funding impacts community risk assessment and community risk reduction activities; and how to involve both firefighters and the community in the process. Innovative solutions such as a website containing resources on how to assess community risk information along with resources such as community risk assessment/ reduction education, program planning, and tools, can assist departments to use community risk assessment data in the development of community risk reduction activities.