Evaluation of therapy in burns by morbidity studies

Abstract

1. 1. Morbidity factors are suggested to serve as criteria in evaluating therapy for patients with burns. These include length of hospitalization as affected by extent of full thickness burn, number of operations required to correct full thickness burns of a given magnitude, and total number of admissions required to correct full thickness burns. 2. 2. It is necessary to determine the depth and extent of skin destruction in each case to be able to employ these criteria. 3. 3. Although the over-all combined hospitalization is increased for late admissions, the time required to correct given areas of full thickness loss at the University of Michigan is approximately the same for both early and late admissions. 4. 4. A comparison of length of hospitalization between the 1946 to 1952 period and the 1953 to 1959 period of this study revealed no significant change. 5. 5. There is a relationship between the area of skin burned to its full thickness and hospitalization, but not between the age and hospitalization. 6. 6. Both the average number of operations and average number of readmissions required in treatment of full thickness burns are reported.