The Journal of burn care & rehabilitation
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J Burn Care Rehabil · Jan 1995
A retrospective review of the burn intensive care unit admissions for a year.
One hundred twenty-three patients who were admitted to the University of Florida burn intensive care unit during a 1-year period were included in this retrospective study. The average age of the patients was 28 years (range 3 months to 90 years), and the average size of the total body surface area burned was 18%, with 7% full-thickness burns. The average hospital stay of each patient was 17.46 days. ⋯ No significant loss of function of the patients' extremities developed while the patients were in the burn intensive care unit after the 112 debridement and skin grafting procedures were done. During the year, 365 follow-up examinations were done on previously discharged patients in the outpatient clinic area of the burn intensive care unit, which gave the doctors, registered nurses, and therapists an opportunity to determine their patients' progress. During the past year 537 separate pieces of compression garments were fitted.
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J Burn Care Rehabil · Jan 1995
Case ReportsEvaluation of a vertical mouth stretching orthosis: two case reports.
Burns around the mouth frequently result in contractures or microstomia. Orthoses used in the past have usually been designed to stretch the mouth horizontally. Finding a comfortable effective way to stretch the mouth vertically proved to be a challenge. ⋯ This orthosis could be adapted to fit in a child's mouth and was impossible to swallow. Progress was easy to monitor with the numeric scale on the orthosis. Though no single orthosis will be ideal for every oral burn, this jaw positioner is recommended for pediatric and adult patients with extensive circumoral burns who demonstrate fair to good compliance.
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One hundred eighty-six patients with electrical burns were treated within an 11-year period at The Hacettepe University Burn Unit. Both children and adults were treated in this burn unit. The main causes of injury were misuse of electrical appliances, inattentiveness, lack of education in safety precautions, and lack of parental supervision. ⋯ The results of this survey demonstrate the need for burn prevention programs in Turkey. Physicians and health care officials have an obligation to educate the public about the prevention of electrical burns. The results of this study and other studies on electrical burns should be communicated to the public through every available means.