The Journal of burn care & rehabilitation
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J Burn Care Rehabil · Sep 2005
Comparative StudyComparison of silver-coated dressing (Acticoat), chlorhexidine acetate 0.5% (Bactigrass), and silver sulfadiazine 1% (Silverdin) for topical antibacterial effect in Pseudomonas aeruginosa-contaminated, full-skin thickness burn wounds in rats.
Acticoat (Smith and Nephew, Istanbul, Turkey), chlorhexidine acetate 0.5%, and silver sulfadiazine 1% were compared to assess the antibacterial effect of their application on experimental burn wounds in contaminated with Pseudomonas aeruginosa in rats. All treatment modalities were effective against P. aeruginosa because there were significant differences between treatment groups and control groups. ⋯ All treatment modalities were sufficient to prevent the P. aeruginosa from invading to the muscle and from causing systemic infection. In conclusion, silver sulfadiazine is the most effective agent in the treatment of the P. aeruginosa-contaminated burn wounds; Acticoat can be considered as a treatment choice because of its peculiar ability of limiting the frequency of replacing wound dressings.
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J Burn Care Rehabil · Sep 2005
Trends in burn research as reflected in American Burn Association presentations, 1998 to 2003.
The American Burn Association (ABA) mission promotes burn care, research, rehabilitation, teaching, and prevention. Therefore, we sought to determine recent burn research trends by reviewing 1595 accepted abstracts from the Proceedings of the American Burn Association from 1998 to 2003. This study encompassed a retrospective, descriptive audit of ABA abstracts accepted for presentation, including topic, institution, accreditation status, and presentation. ⋯ S.) hospitals primarily shared the podium, although N-S presentations decreased annually since 1998. On the basis of 2003 ABA/ACS accreditation data, there was an association between accreditation and research activity. SH and N-S collaborative studies for better patient care are the trend for the future as burn centers pool data and resources.
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J Burn Care Rehabil · Jul 2005
Epidemiology of scalds in vulnerable groups in New South Wales, Australia, 1998/1999 to 2002/2003.
In this study, the recently introduced International Classification of Disease, 10th revision, code for hot tap water scalds was used to examine the epidemiology of these cases and other scalds injuries in children younger than 5 years of age and adults aged 65 years and older. Although the trunk was the most common area in which scalds occurred, young children were more likely to sustain head and neck scalds (15%, 95% confidence interval 10.8-18.3) because of hot tap water than older people (2%, 95% confidence interval 0.2-4.4). Hospital separation rates for hot water scalds decreased significantly during the study period in both boys (chi(2) = 15.6, df = 1, P < .001) and girls (chi(2) = 5.6, df = 1, P < .001) who were younger than 5 years of age, which might be attributable to the introduction of new standards regulating the provision of hot tap water to various buildings. The severity of scalds cases did not seem to be correlated with the length of hospital stay, which remained unchanged in both age groups.
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J Burn Care Rehabil · Jul 2005
Social support correlates with survival in patients with massive burn injury.
Large burn size, inhalation injury, age, and associated trauma increase the rate of mortality after burns. However, not all patients with large burns and significant risk factors die. In this study, we wanted to determine other presenting factors that might indicate a survival benefit for burn patients with large burns. ⋯ Survivors (81%) were more likely than nonsurvivors to have social support (35%; P = .007). A full-thickness burn > or =80 % TBSA was the only variable uniformly associated with mortality, suggesting that patients who survive large burns have a partial-thickness component that heals without surgery. The difference in degree of social support was one unique distinction that may impact patient survival and is worth further investigation.
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J Burn Care Rehabil · Jul 2005
Comparative StudyOutpatient firefighter burn injuries: a 3-year review.
Previously, our Burn Center at the New-York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center reported a decline during a 10-year period in the number of firefighters requiring hospitalization for burn injuries, from 53 patients per year to 15 patients per year. Because the incidence of structural fires continued at a constant rate of 26,240 to 30,841 per year during this time, it was postulated that an improvement in protective gear accounted for the decrease in injuries. However, it also was possible that more firefighters were being treated on an outpatient basis. ⋯ These findings, however, demonstrate that the extent of injury has decreased in this population and suggest that the protective gear used by firefighters has contributed to these findings. These injuries, although minor to moderate, preclude the use of personal protective equipment until the burns are completely healed and contribute to a delayed return to full-duty status. These findings are consistent with nationally reported findings.