Temporal trends in burn size estimation and the impact of the NSW Trauma App on estimation accuracy

Abstract

BackgroundSeveral studies demonstrated that burn size calculations by referring clinicians are poor. The purpose of this study was to determine if inaccuracies in burn size estimation have improved with time within the same population, and whether widespread roll-out of a smartphone-based TBSA calculator (in the form of the NSW Trauma App) had an impact on accuracy. MethodsA review of all burn-injured adult patients transferred to Burn Units from August 2015, following the roll out of the NSW Trauma App, to January 2021 was performed. The TBSA determined by the referring centre was compared with the TBSA calculated by the Burn Unit. This was compared to historical data from the same population between January 2009 and August 2013. ResultsThere were 767 adult burn-injured patients transferred to a Burn Unit between 2015 and 2021. The median overall TBSA was 7%. There were 290 patients (37.9%) who had equivalent TBSA calculations by the referring hospital and the Burn Unit. This was a significant improvement compared to the preceding time period (P < 0.005). Overestimation by the referring hospital occurred in 364 cases (47.5%), which was significantly reduced compared to 2009 – 2013 (P < 0.001). Unlike the earlier time period where changes in estimation accuracy were seen in relation to increasing time after the burn injury, burn size estimation accuracy remained relatively consistent in the contemporary time period with no significant change observed (P = 0.86). ConclusionsThis cumulative, longitudinal study of nearly 1500 adult burn-injured patients over 13 years demonstrates improvements in burn size estimation by referring clinicians over time. It is the largest cohort of patients analysed with respect to burn size estimation and is the first to demonstrate improvements in accuracy of TBSA in association with a smartphone-based app. Adopting this simple strategy into burn retrieval systems will augment early assessment of these injuries and improve outcomes.