Burn Injury Patients Research Articles

T5 Tracking Cardiac Output During Burn Resuscitation via Pulse Wave Analysis

IntroductionUrine output (UOP) still remains the primary endpoint utilized as a surrogate for cardiac output (CO) and adequacy of perfusion during burn resuscitation. The role of arterial blood pressure (BP) waveform as a guiding tool for burn resuscitation has not been rigorously explored. As we move toward developing and validating novel endpoint to complement UOP, we compared the potential of pulse wave analysis (PWA) of arterial BP waveforms for estimating cardiac output (CO) and stroke volume (SV) in a large animal model of 40% total body surface area (TBSA) burns with varying resuscitation paradigms.MethodsAnesthetized swine were instrumented and hemorrhaged 15% of their blood volume, and sustained a 40% TBSA full-thickness contact burn with aluminum billets. Animals were kept in a surgical ICU setting overnight, during which anesthesia was maintained with a combination of propofol, ketamine, and fentanyl. Animals were randomized to 3 different intravenous fluid (lactated Ringer’s, LR) levels: under resuscitation with no IV fluids, adequate resuscitation protocolized with a clinical decision support tool, or over resuscitation with a starting rate of 500mL/hour. We computed 20 surrogate measures of CO and SV (10 each) via PWA of arterial BP, and calibrated them to reference CO via thermo-dilution and SV on a subject-by-subject basis. Surrogate performance was quantified in terms of correlation coefficient and root-mean-squared error (RMSE) relative to reference CO and SV.ResultsAnimals received 0±0, 4.4±1.6, and 9.1±1.3 mL/kg/% TBSA in the under, adequate, and over resuscitation groups (p=0.0036), respectively. Among the ten surrogate measures of CO and SV, 4 surrogates had positive proportionality to reference CO and SV consistently. The best surrogate measure of CO and SV was [mean BP-diastolic BP]/[heart period] and [mean BP-diastolic BP], respectively, which yielded r value of 0.82+/-0.19 and RMSE of 0.23+/-0.14 lpm for CO and r value of 0.85+/-0.17 and RMSE of 2.7+/-2.0 ml for SV (Fig. 1).ConclusionsThe initial results suggest that PWA-based surrogates of CO and SV have the potential to track reference CO and SV in extremes of resuscitation post-burn. The current model produces under-resuscitated, adequately resuscitated, and over-resuscitated animals, making it possible to rigorously examine the efficacy of PWA-based tracking of CO and SV in a wide spectrum of burn resuscitation scenarios. Hence, PWA may provide metrics useful for developing surrogates of CO and SV as novel treatment endpoints of burn resuscitation that indicate perfusion and volume status of burn injury patients.

Identification of Novel Biomarkers With Diagnostic Value and Immune Infiltration in Burn Injury.

Burn injury is an intractable problem in the field of surgery where screening relevant target genes and exploring pathological mechanisms through bioinformatic methods has become a necessity. Herein, we integrated three burn injury mRNA microarray datasets from the Gene Expression Omnibus database to analyze the hub differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between burn injury patient samples and healthy human samples; we conducted multiple functional enrichment analyses and constructed the protein–protein interaction (PPI) network. Finally, we evaluated the immune infiltration in the burn injury microenvironment. A total of 84 intersection DEGs (32 upregulated and 52 downregulated) were screened in burn injury patients via integrated analyses. Upregulated genes were primarily enriched in regulation of T cell activation, regulation of response to DNA damage stimulus, positive regulation of innate immune response, positive regulation of defense response. We also identified 10 hub genes from the PPI network (CCNB2, MYO10, TTK, POLQ, VASP, TIMP1, CDK16, MMP1, ZYX, and PKMYT1). Next, we found that 22 immune cells were substantially changed during the burn injury by CIBERSORT. In addition, we verified that VASP and POLQ are two novel diagnostic markers in burn processes with high diagnostic efficacy via immunohistochemistry. In summary, we identified several key genes involved in burn injury and provided a favorable basis for elucidating the molecular mechanisms of burn injury through comprehensive bioinformatic analysis.

The Development of Acute Kidney Injury in Burn Patients Undergoing Computed Tomography With Intravenous Contrast

AbstractAcute kidney injury (AKI) is a major complication of significant burn injuries and a significant cause of patient morbidity and mortality. Patients that sustain traumatic burn injuries may require computed tomography (CT) imaging as part of their initial trauma management. This multicenter retrospective chart review of patients admitted to two level I trauma centers with ≥10% TBSA burns between 2014 and 2017 aims to determine if patients with greater than 10% TBSA burns that received CT imaging with intravenous contrast were more likely to develop acute kidney injury during their admission. A total of 439 patients were included in the study. The average age was 45.3 years and average TBSA was 23.2%. Sixty-seven of the 439 patients underwent CT scans with IV contrast on admission. The rate of AKI between patients who did or did not receive CT scans was not statistically significant (9.1 vs 6.0%, P = 0.40). Patients who developed an AKI had higher TBSA (45.6 vs 21.1%, P < .01), amount of fluids per TBSA given within the first 24 hours (457.4 vs 321.6, P < .01), and mortality (71.1 vs 6.2%, P < .01) than those who did not develop an AKI. There was no significant difference in the development of acute kidney injury in burn patients who received CT scans with IV contrast on admission. Although there is a risk of contrast induced nephropathy, the risk is not increased in burn patients and this should not prevent a thorough evaluation to rule out additional life-threatening injuries in the burn trauma patient.

Seasonal effects on the mechanisms of burn injuries.

This study aimed to evaluate seasonal effects on the mechanisms of burn injuries in patients requiring hospitalization. A retrospective evaluation was made using the information of 419 hospitalized burns patients, including demographic data, degree and percentage of burn injury, cause and mechanism of burn injury, morbidity and mortality. Burn mechanisms were grouped as thermal burns (flame, boiling liquid, contact), chemical burns and electrical burns. When calculating the percentage of body surface area burned, the rule of nines was applied. Seasonal classification was made appropriate to the northern hemisphere. According to the seasons, the most burns were seen in spring months (n= 130, 31.0%). In the examination of the mechanism of burn injury, the most common type of injury was boiling liquid in 159 patients followed by flame injury in 146 patients. There was an increase in electrical and chemical burns in spring and summer. A statistically significant difference was determined between the types of burns according to the seasons (p= 0.024). The burn injury occurred as a result of a workplace accident in 82 cases, the majority of which were in autumn, and summer, and the difference in the seasons was determined to be statistically significant (p= 0.045). There was a statistically significant increase in the exposure of individuals aged >65 years to boiling liquid burns in winter and summer months (p= 0.014). The results of this study showed a seasonal effect on the types of burn injuries. A higher rate of thermal burns was expected to be found in winter, but this was not the case in patients with indications for hospitalization, as chemical and electrical burns in workplace accidents were seen more frequently in warmer seasons of spring and summer. In this context, burns units should be prepared for patient profiles to vary according to the season.

Epidemiological and Clinical Characteristics of Burn Injuries among Hospitalized Patients in Babylon Province

Background: Burns form the fourth most common cause of injury after road traffic injuries, falls, and interpersonal conflicts and are usually correlated with devastating physical, mental, social, and financial harms, particularly in low and middle-income countries like Iraq. Objectives: To investigate the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of burn injury patients, to measure the mortality rate (case fatality rate) for burns, and to explain the main determinants of deaths among hospitalized burn injury patients. Patients and Methods: This was an observational descriptive cross-sectional study conducted on all acute burn injury cases who were admitted to the biggest teaching hospital in Babylon Province, Iraq. Data were collected from patients themselves or their companions and from patients’ hospital records using a pretested questionnaire designed for collecting the requested information that included demographic data, burn characteristics, burn determinants, and burn outcomes. Results: A sample of 120 patients with burn injuries were investigated. The mean age ± standard deviation was 18.9 ± 17.9 years. The mean age of burn death victims was 24.5 ± 17.66 years. The young age group (15–24 years) represented the highest proportion. Male to female ratio was 1:1.4. Most of the patients had low educational and income levels. The case fatality rate was 26.6% (32/120). The majority of cases were from rural areas; 67% of suicidal burn deaths had more than 50% of total body surface area. Intentional burn death victims had significantly severe burns (third-degree burn and high body surface area) as compared to accidental burn death victims. There was a statistically significant difference as regards the mode of burns between the intentional and accidental burn deaths; all intentional death victims were burnt with flame. Conclusions: The case fatality rate of burn injuries was high, females outnumbered males, the majority of the victims had low educational and income levels, and suicidal burn deaths were significantly associated with severe burn as compared to the accidental ones.

Socio-demographic features and quality of life post burn injury.

Introduction:Burn injury is a highly devastating injury accounting for the major cause of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) lost mostly in developing countries. Physical trauma, body disfigurement, the social stigma associated with injury completely shatter an individual’s life.Aim:To study the quality of life among burn injury patients.Methodology:A cross-sectional hospital-based descriptive study was done on 150 burn injury patients. During the initial recruitment from Burns and Plastic Surgery Ward, socio-demographic profile and burn incident-related data were collected, whereas the WHO QoL-BREF tool was applied after 3 months of discharge during a follow-up visit in the outpatient department of Burns and Plastic Surgery to assess the quality of life among subjects. Data were compiled in MS Excel and statistical analysis was done using SPSS 20 version.Results:The study revealed poor quality of life among four domains of QoL; it was most inferior in the psychological domain followed by the physical health domain, environment domain, and social relationship domain.Conclusion:Advancement in the medical field has improved the survival rate in victims although the patients recover from the acute painful phase of physical trauma. However, the psychological and social impacts of injury remain unaddressed leading to a poor QoL. There is a need for an integrated approach for prevention and enhancement of the quality of care for the victims in all four domains of life. More emphasis is needed on rehabilitative care for long-term improvement in the QoL of the affected person.

A Review of Burn Patients Requiring Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation at a Burns Facility

Respiratory compromise is a recognised sequelae of major burn injuries, and in rare instances requires extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). Over a ten-year period, our hospital trust, an ECMO centre and burns facility, had five major burn patients requiring ECMO, whose burn injuries would normally be managed at trusts with higher levels of burn care. Three patients (60%) survived to hospital discharge, one (20%) died at our trust, and one patient died after repatriation. All patients required regular, time-intensive dressing changes from our specialist nursing team, beyond their regular duties. This review presents these patients, as well as a review of the literature on the use of ECMO in burn injury patients. A formal review of the overlap between the networks that cater to ECMO and burn patients is recommended.

1114. Effectiveness and Safety of Beta-lactam Antibiotics with and without Therapeutic Drug Monitoring in Patients with Pseudomonas aeruginosa Pneumonia or Bloodstream Infection

Background Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PSAR) is challenging to treat due to its multiple resistance mechanisms, limited anti-PSAR agents, and population pharmacokinetic (PK) variances. Beta-lactam antibiotics (BLA) are commonly used to treat PSAR infections and although they have a wide therapeutic index, suboptimal exposures may lead to treatment failure and antimicrobial resistance while high exposure may result in adverse effects. Certain patient populations may benefit from BLA therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) due to their significant PK variability. The purpose of this study was to compare clinical outcomes in patients with PSAR pneumonia (PNA) or bloodstream infection (BSI) receiving BLA with and without the guidance of TDM.MethodsRetrospective, parallel cohort study conducted at UF Shands Gainesville and UF Health Jacksonville evaluating five years of patients with PSAR PNA or BSI. TDM group was defined for routine BLA TDM compared to nonroutine BLA TDM service (non-TDM). Patients were excluded if they died before a culture result, transferred in with a positive PSAR culture, were transplant recipients, cystic fibrosis or burn injury patients. The primary outcome was a composite of presumed clinical cure defined as the absence of the following: all-cause in-hospital mortality, escalation, and/or additional antimicrobial therapy for PSAR infection after 48 hours of treatment with primary susceptible regimen due to worsening clinical status or transfer to a higher level of care.ResultsTwo-hundred patients were included (TDM n=95; non-TDM n=105). The overall primary composite outcome of presumed clinical cure occurred in 73% of patients (82% and 75% of the TDM and non-TDM cohorts, respectively; p=0.301). A post-hoc multivariate analysis was conducted to assess predictors of not attaining clinical cure. ConclusionWhile there was no difference in the primary composite outcome of presumed clinical cure, future studies can use these data to assess TDM patient selection and whether a bundled care approach of BLA regimens with known clinical benefit, early TDM-guided dose optimization, and continued clinical assessment improves outcomes in patients with PSAR PNA or BSI compared to use of each modality individually. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

Pain management in burn patients

A burn is a profoundly traumatic and painful experience. The pain in burn patients is, however, oppressively difficult to treat, perhaps due to an underlying chronic pain that accompanies wound care and medical procedures. This article aims to identify the best methods to guide clinical practice through a review of the past 5 years of development in burn pain management. The PubMed/MEDLINE electronic database was searched for clinical studies, prospective and retrospective studies, case reports and review articles pertinent to the topic of burn pain management. In the present article, the challenges, advances and novel strategies in easing pain in burn injures with special emphasis on paediatric patients have been discussed. For better care performance, future research must continue to optimize present medication paradigms and identify novel targets in burn care to ultimately enhance the treatment results for severe burn injury patients.

Pain Management in Burn Patients

A burn is a profoundly traumatic and painful experience. The pain in burn patients is, however, oppressively difficult to treat, perhaps due to an underlying chronic pain that accompanies wound care and medical procedures. This article aims to identify the best methods to guide clinical practice through a review of the past 5 years of development in burn pain management. The PubMed/MEDLINE electronic database was searched for clinical studies, prospective and retrospective studies, case reports and review articles pertinent to the topic of burn pain management. In the present article, the challenges, advances and novel strategies in easing pain in burn injures with special emphasis on paediatric patients have been discussed. For better care performance, future research must continue to optimize present medication paradigms and identify novel targets in burn care to ultimately enhance the treatment results for severe burn injury patients.

A Systematic Review: Topical Sucralfate for Burn Wound

BACKGROUND: Topical sucralfate has been used for burn and non-burn skin and mucosal lesion with remarkable results. The healing rate of mucosa is faster than skin lesion. AIM: A current systematic review was conducted to objectively evaluate wound healing benefits of topical sucralfate for burn wound and to show on which degree of burn wound it works compare with another topical agents of burn wound therapy. METHODS: Databases were searched for relevant studies: Google Scholar, PUBMED, and ProQuest. Data sources were searched using MeSH terms: “topical sucralfate” and “burn wound” for all publications up to December 2018. All English papers were included. Only studies performed in humans were included in this study. A total of 2437 publications were found, of which 3 studies met the inclusion criteria and were relevant to be used in this systematic review. The primary outcome was burn wound healing. DATA EXTRACTION: Data from retrieved studies were reviewed and tabulated according to year of publication, study design, human or animal studies, characteristics of the population, and outcomes. DATA SYNTHESIS: A total of 2 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and 1 observational comparative study were found. All trials are on second degree burn wound patients. Jadad score was used to assess the methodological quality of the RCTs. One RCT and one comparative study demonstrated favorable outcomes with the use of topical sucralfate. There is one publication with no significant differences. CONCLUSIONS: This systematic review shows a noticeably beneficial effect of topical sucralfate for burn wound. It is better than other topical agent in wound healing rate, decreased infection rate and enhancement of epithelialization also granulation with no local or systemic adverse reactions. However, multicenter RCT with larger sample size are needed to make recommendation for burn wound treatment.

Neuropathic agents in the management of pruritus in burn injuries: a systematic review and meta-analysis

ObjectivesPruritus is a common and often distressing complication after a burn injury. The purpose of this review is to explore the efficacy of drugs classically used to treat neuropathic pain...

Comparison between Phenotypic and Genotypic Detection of Metallo Beta Lactamase Enzyme among Gram Negative Bacteria Isolated from Burn Patient

Background: -lactamases (MBLs) are emerging worldwide as powerful resistance determinants in Gram negative bacteria Rapid dissemination and spread between different bacterial species by large gene transfer favor by globalization and travel represent a high risk of worldwide pandemic among Enterobacteriaceae Objective:This study design to screen for phenotypic detection of MBL and genes coding for metallo - lactamase(MBL) such as, blaVIM, blaIMP and bla NDM among infected burn wound patients in Sulaimani city /Iraq. Materials and Methods: Out of 230 burn wound samples, 201 wound swabs and 29 tissue biopsy were collected from hospitalized burn patients with second and third degrees burnfrom Burn and Plastic Surgery Hospital in Sulaimani city from the period of April to October 2011. According to direct gram stain , bacterial cultural , biochemical tests, analytic profile identification(API) system and vitek 2 Compact system , antimicrobial susceptibility Testing by using Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method and vitek compact system, -lactamase by Double disk synergy test and Combined EDTA disk test and Modified Hodge test and -lactamase enzyme by using polymerase chain reaction. Results: Out of 230 burn wound samples177 samples gram negative bacteria were isolated; inflammatory cells showed significantly associated with positive bacterial culture. The most frequent bacteria isolated were Pseudomonas species 48(27.12%), in which Pseudomonas aeruginosa account for a higher percentage 46(25.98%) and one species (0.56%) of each P. stutzeri and P.florescence wasisolated followed by Acinetobacterspecies 44 (24.86%) in which Acinetobacterbaumanniiwas the commonest and accounts for a higher percentage 41 (23.16%) and one species(0.56%) of each of A. ursingi, A. hemolyticasandA.complexwere identified. On the other hand in the family of Enterobacteriaceae,the most common bacteria were Klebsiellapneumoniae44(24.86%), Enterobacter cloacae 18 (10.17%) and Escherichia species 11(6.21%). The susceptibility of bacterial isolates against 18 antibiotics from different classes of antibiotics was tested and it was found that most of the isolated species of non fermenter bacteria such as Acinetobacterand Pseudomonas species show multidrug resistant pattern and high resistance against most of the antibiotics commonly used. The most resistant antibiotics against non fermenter bacteria were Ticarcillin (81.82%) against Pseudomonas species and Ticarcillin, Tazobactam- Pipracillin and Cefoxitin (93.18%) against Acinetobacterspecies .The most resistant antibiotic against K. pneumonia andE.cloacaewere Cefoxitin(84.9%)and Amoxicillin Clavulanic acid (84.9%).The most resistant antibiotics against Escherichia specieswere Cefotaxime, Trimethoprim and Cefipime (90.91%) but the most effective antibiotic with a highsensitivity rate was Imipenem (90.91).Phenotypic tests were carried out for the detection of MBL enzyme for all studied isolates and it was found that Combined disk test was the most sensitive test giving the highest percentage (31.07%) followed by Double disk synergy test(28.8%), Modified Hodge test (20.9%) .Polymerase chain reaction assay was used for genotypic detection of MBL genes (blaIMP,blaVIM, ,blaNDM ) in all isolates and the results revealed that the gene blaIMPwas locatedin 33(18.64%),blaVIM,in19 (10.73%), 2(1.12%)forblaNDM Also these genes were detected in 25 stock cultures of Gram negative bacteria preserved in 25 °C since 2008 to 2010. blaIMP gene was detected in11(44%) , blaVIM in 12(48%) and 2(8%) for blaNDM, all these genes were detected in K. pneumonae,P. aeruginosa and A. baumanniiwith length amplified genes (230) bp for IMP and (390)bp for VIM and( 621)bp for NDM. Conclusions:These results indicate that most of the Meropenem resistant strains from infected burn wound strains in this study were producing MBL enzymes The presence of MBL genes among Meropenem sensitive strains indicates that there might be a hidden MBL gene among isolated strains which cannot be diagnosed by phenotypic tests leading to the dissemination of these genes in the hospital silently among patients even within normal health workers who act as carriers for MBL genes in future

Renal replacement therapy for acute kidney injury in burn patients, an international survey and a qualitative review of current controversies

Background of the studyAcute kidney injury (AKI) is a common complication in critically ill burn patients and is associated with a number of serious adverse outcomes. The clinical decision-making process related to the management of AKI in burn patients is complex and has not been sufficiently standardized. The main aim of this study was to explore the diagnostic approach and clinician’s attitudes toward the management of AKI and RRT in burn patients around the world. MethodsThe questionnaire was widely distributed among the members of International Society for Burn Injury (ISBI), who were invited to complete the survey. Data collection and report was compliant with the the Checklist for Reporting Results of Internet E-Surveys (CHERRIES) Web-survey guidelines. The survey form with multiple-choice questions was divided into 3 parts: a. physician and institutional demographics, b. AKI diagnostic information, c. technical aspects of RRT. ResultsA total of 44 respondents worldwide submitted valuable data in the 2-month period. Of all respondents, 43.2% were from Europe, 30% from North America, 7% from South-East Asia 2.3% from Africa and 18.2% from other regions. 93.1% of participants declare that they use specific definitions to detect AKI, while 11.4% declare the use of renal ultrasonography for AKI diagnosis. CRRT appeared to be the most preferred option by 43.2% of participants, followed by intermittent hemodialysis (25%), and prolonged intermittent RRT (6.8%). The expertise to deliver a modality and the availability of resources were considered important factors when selecting the optimal RRT modality by 20.5% and 29.6% of respondents. The use of specific serum biomarkers for AKI diagnosis are stated by 16% of respondents; 25% of specialists refer to the use of biomarkers of AKI as a criterium for discontinuing the RRT. Femoral vena and right jugular vena were the most frequently used location for RRT temporary catheter placement, 54.6% of respondents declared using ultrasound guidance for catheter placement. ConclusionsThe majority of burn specialists use specific consensus classifications to detect acute kidney injury. Continuous renal replacement therapy appeared to be the most preferred option, while the expertise to deliver a particular modality and resources availability play a significant role in modality selection. The use of ultrasound and specific biomarkers for AKI evaluation is infrequent in routine clinical practice.

Systematic review of the epidemiological characteristics of inhalation injury in burn patients in China

Objective: To study the epidemiological characteristics of inhalation injury in burn patients in China. Methods: The systematic review method was performed. Chinese Journal Full-text Database, Wanfang Database, and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database were searched with the Chinese search terms of ", , ", and PubMed and Embase were searched with the search terms of "burns, inhalation injury" to retrieve the collected retrospective studies on the epidemiological characteristics of inhalation injury in burn patients in China from the establishment of each database to January 2019. Data were extracted from the included articles, including the first author, study institution, study period, study subjects, number of burn patients, incidence of inhalation injury, and gender, age, causes of injury, mortality, and causes of death in patients with inhalation injury. Results: A total of 24 articles were included in this study with the first authors being from multiple research institutions across the country. The articles reported single or multi-center epidemiological studies with statistics on the incidence of inhalation injury in burn patients or severe burn patients admitted to key burn treatment institutions in many provinces/cities in China from 1958 to 2016. The number of burn patients included was 103-64 320 cases in the studies, and the incidence of inhalation injury in hospitalized burn patients ranged from 4.89% to 11.28%, with no obvious trend. The incidence of inhalation injury in severe burn patients was still high, from 19.09% to 32.38% as most articles reported. The number of men with inhalation injury was larger than that of women, with a male-to-female ratio of 1.61 ∶1.00-4.95 ∶1.00; young and middle-aged people were the high-risk population, and flame burn was the main cause of injury. The mortality of patients with inhalation injury was 5.17%-58.67%, of which the mortality was 5.17%-24.75% since 2000, in accordance with reports from hospitals in various regions that the mortality in the later period decreased significantly compared with the previous period. The causes of death in patients with inhalation injury included upper respiratory tract obstruction, sepsis, respiratory failure, and severe pulmonary infection. Conclusions: From 1958 to 2016, there is no obvious trend in the incidence of inhalation injury among burn patients in China; the incidence of inhalation injury is high in young and middle-aged males, and the main cause of inhalation injury is flame burn. The mortality of inhalation injury generally decreased since 2000 compared with the previous period.

Nexobrid Treatment for Burn Injuries in Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Home Oxygen Therapy.

There is an increased risk for burn injuries associated with home oxygen therapy of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) since 10% to 50% of these patients continue to smoke. Enzymatic eschar removal of facial burns is gaining popularity but intubation of this specific patient group often leads to prolonged weaning and can require tracheostomy. This study dealt with the question if enzymatic debridement in these patients can also be performed in analgosedation. A selective review of the literature regarding burn trauma associated with home oxygen use in patients with COPD was performed, as well as a retrospective analysis of all patients with burn injuries associated with home oxygen use and COPD that were admitted to the study clinic. In the literature, 1746 patients with burns associated with home oxygen use are described, but none of them received enzymatic debridement. In this study, 17 patients were included. All three patients in this study with facial full-thickness burn injuries received enzymatic debridement. The mortality rate in this cohort was 17.6% (3/17). Up to date, there is limited experience performing regional anesthesia debridement in patients with COPD. This is the first manuscript describing the use of enzymatic debridement in patients with COPD and home oxygen therapy. We could confirm other studies that intubation of these patients leads to prolonged ventilation hours and increases the probability for poor prognosis. Therefore, we described the treatment of enzymatic debridement in analgosedation without intubation.

Potential role of systemic enzyme therapy with trypsin, bromelain and rutoside combination in burns

Burns is a global public health problem, with a higher prevalence rate in the Southeast Asia region, including India. The therapeutic interventions mainly target the control of complications following burn injury and assisting in physiological recovery. However, the excessive inflammatory changes and loss of immunological integrity, seen in burns patients, interfere with the healing process. An orally applied formulation composed of hydrolytic enzymes (bromelain, trypsin) and the flavonoid rutoside has a long history of use as natural anti-inflammatory agents. This combination has been found to exert anti-inflammatory, anti-thrombotic and antioxidant effects through myriad mechanisms that include favorable modulation of inflammatory mediators, enhancement of plasmin levels, reduced leukocyte migration to injury site and suppression of the formation of reactive oxygen species. These actions have been demonstrated in multiple in vitro and animal models. Further, the beneficial effects of the combination on inflammatory markers have been reported from multiple clinical studies. This review provides a discussion of the current understanding of cellular mechanisms and pathways involved in burn injury and the evidence highlighting the beneficial role of systemic enzyme therapy with trypsin-bromelain-rutoside combination in the management of burn injury patients.

The Impact of Multidrug-Resistant Organisms Infection on Outcomes in Burn Injury Patients at Sanglah General Hospital, Bali

BACKGROUND: Research related to the impact of multidrug resistant organisms (MDRO) infection on clinical outcomes in burns is still limited. AIM: This study evaluated the effect of MDRO infection on morbidity and mortality of burn patients. METHODS: A single-center retrospective cohort study was conducted on burn patients admitted to the burn unit of Sanglah General Hospital, Bali, between 2018 and 2020. MDRO patients were described as those who had at least one positive MDRO culture. All other patients were included in the non-MDRO group. Measurement and analysis included mortality and five indicators of morbidity: length of stay, duration of antibiotic therapy, sepsis, pneumonia, and acute kidney injury (AKI). RESULTS: Significant associations of MDRO infection were found for duration of antibiotic therapy (0 vs. 7 days), sepsis (odds ratio [OR] 13.90 [95% Confidence interval (CI) 95% 2.88–67.10]), pneumonia (OR 12,67 [95% CI 3.26–49.23]), and mortality (OR 9.75 [95% CI 2.00–47.50]). No significant association was found for the length of stay and the incidence of AKI. Multivariate analysis found that MDRO infection increased risk of sepsis (OR 36.53 [95% CI 2.05–652.45], pneumonia (OR 10.75 [95% CI 1.87–61.86]) and mortality (OR 57.09 [95% CI 1.41–2318.87]). Multivariate analysis of MDRO infection with duration of antibiotic therapy found no independent variables that were significantly related. CONCLUSION: These research findings suggest that MDRO infections are associated with increasing length of antibiotic treatment, sepsis, pneumonia, and mortality in burn patients.

Calpastatin-Mediated Inhibition of Calpain Ameliorates Skin Scar Formation after Burn Injury.

Hypertrophic scars, the most common complication of burn injuries, are characterized by excessive deposition of fibroblast-derived extracellular matrix proteins. Calpain, a calcium-dependent protease, is involved in the fibroblast proliferation and extracellular matrix production observed in certain fibrotic diseases. However, its role in the formation of post-burn hypertrophic skin scars remains largely unknown. Here, calpain expression and activity were assessed in skin fibroblasts obtained directly from patients with third-degree burns, who consequently developed post-burn hypertrophic scars. Furthermore, the antifibrotic effect of calpastatin, an endogenous calpain inhibitor, was evaluated in human fibroblasts and a murine burn model. The activity, mRNA levels, and protein levels of calpain were markedly higher in fibroblasts from the burn wounds of patients than in normal cells. Selective calpain inhibition by calpastatin markedly reduced not only the proliferation of burn-wound fibroblasts but also the mRNA and protein expression of calpain, transforming growth factor-beta 1, α-smooth muscle actin, type I and type III collagens, fibronectin, and vimentin in burn-wound fibroblasts. The anti-scarring effects of calpastatin were validated using a murine burn model by molecular, histological, and visual analyses. This study demonstrates the pathological role of calpain and the antifibrotic effect of calpastatin via calpain inhibition in post-burn hypertrophic scar formation.

Absence of "Cytokine Storm" in Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background: A rapidly growing number of publications cite “cytokine storm” as a contributing factor in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pathology. However, a few recent reports led to questioning of “cytokine storm” theory in COVID-19. This study’s primary goal is to determine if exaggerated cytokine response in the range of a “cytokine storm” develops during the initial weeks of hospitalization in COVID-19 patients. Methods: Five proinflammatory cytokines reported to be involved in “cytokine storm” and elevated in COVID-19 (IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, MCP-1, and IP-10) were analyzed in COVID-19, influenza (with “cytokine storm”: CS), and burn injury patients. The effect of dexamethasone use on cytokine response in COVID-19 was also analyzed. Results: None of the five cytokines in COVID-19 patients reached the lower threshold (95% CI) of the influenza (CS) group at any point during the study period. Furthermore, mean concentrations of all five cytokines in the influenza (CS) group and IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α in the burn group were significantly greater than in COVID-19 patients (p < 0.01). Dexamethasone treatment did not significantly alter the concentrations of any of the cytokines analyzed. Conclusions: Exaggerated cytokine response similar to “cytokine storm” was not observed in COVID-19 patients during two weeks of hospitalization.