Treatment Of Pediatric Burns Research Articles

Toxic Shock Syndrome as an Unexpected Complication in Outpatient Pediatric Burn Treatment: A Chart Review

Background: Minor burn injuries in children affecting less than 10% of total body surface area (TBSA) are often successfully managed in the outpatient setting, however it is important to recognize they can be associated with serious sequelae such as toxic shock syndrome (TSS). Methods: We conducted a retrospective chart review at a tertiary-level pediatric hospital between May 2012 and May 2022 to identify pediatric patients diagnosed with TSS following minor burn injuries. Data collected included: patient demographics, burn characteristics, TSS symptoms, and management. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: During the study period, 3706 patients with minor burns were treated as outpatients, of which 6 patients developed TSS. Ages ranged from 12 to 36 months, and half were male. Most injuries were scalds (n = 4) or contact injuries (n = 2), involving 1% to 3% TBSA partial-thickness burns. Early symptoms of TSS included vomiting (n = 6) and fever (n = 5), and later, hypotension (n = 5). Hospital admission for TSS occurred 1 to 6 days post-injury. Four of the 6 patients required ICU care, with 2 of them requiring fluid resuscitation and 2 receiving IVIg. The clinical course of 2 patients was complicated by deep vein thrombosis, with 1 patient developing a septic ileus as a secondary infection. All patients recovered and were discharged home after 3 to 9 days. Conclusion: We highlight the rare complication of TSS following minor burns in children. Providers should be vigilant for early symptoms of TSS like fever, vomiting, and hypotension. Further research to identify at-risk patients and preventative treatment would be beneficial.

Pediatric Facial Burn Reconstruction.

Contrary to prior pediatric burn treatment philosophies, we now know that early burn excision and grafting for non life-threatening burns can compromise future reconstruction. Extensive scar excision should be minimized and scar rehabilitation maximized, as secondary iatrogenic deformities can become even more difficult to fix. Scar remodeling with local tissue rearrangement can relieve tension and soften scars over time. The majority of facial burns often only involve skin and can be adequately treated without the need for complex flap reconstruction. Facial burn scars are a different problem than facial burn scar contracture. The former needs scar rehabilitation, whereas the latter needs the addition of skin. Laser therapy has transformed the treatment of burn scars and is an incredibly valuable adjunct to local tissue rearrangement and grafting. The most favorable functional, aesthetic, and psychological outcomes require a long-term multidisciplinary effort and customized protocol utilizing the vast armamentarium of reconstructive tools described below.

As time goes by – Overlooking 40 years of inpatient burn treatment at a national pediatric burn center in Switzerland

BackgroundDespite extensive prevention programs, burns remain a frequent cause of injury in Switzerland with a known age peak in children. Pediatric burns may cause substantial morbidity, a psyochological burden and therapy related high economic costs. To improve preventive measures, precise knowledge of etiology and treatment of pediatric burns in Switzerland as well as their temporal evolution is indispensable. MethodsThe present retrospective analysis included pediatric burn patients admitted for acute treatment to the Pediatric Burn Center of the University Children`s Hospital Zurich over the last four decades. Sociodemographic, injury related, and treatment related data were extracted from medical records. Linear regression analysis was applied to determine temporal changes during the past four decades and chi-square and t-tests were applied wherever applicable. ResultsA total of 3425 acute burn patients were included in the study between 1977 and 2020, corresponding to a mean of 89 patients/year. Mean age was 3.60 ± 4.12 years, three quarters of all patients were preschool children (0–5 years) and mean total body surface area (TBSA) burned was 8.01% ± 9.57%, however only around one fifth had severe burns (>10% TBSA). Scald burns (65.31%) and flame burns (32.99%) were most commonly seen. Linear regression analysis showed the total number of thermal injuries treated at our center to have increased significantly as of 2004 (p < 0.001). Separate analysis showed the same for small and medium (<10% TBSA) burns (p < 0.001), whereas the number of severe burns did not increase significantly. Length of stay (LOS) was highly associated with %TBSA burned. The percentage of female patients amongst all patients increased over time (p = 0.012). LOS per TBSA burned decreased significantly (p < 0.001). ConclusionThe present data show pediatric burns to remain a major health burden in Switzerland, especially small and medium burns in preschool children. Prevention programs should focus on this age population as well as on scald and flame burns as most common etiologies. The observed decrease in length of stay suggests a major improvement in overall quality of care in pediatric burns and supports centralization of care.

577 Impact of the Bismuth Tribromophenate Stick-down Method on Pediatric Burns

Abstract Introduction Burn injuries are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the pediatric population. Patients require frequent dressing changes to minimize infection risk and promote wound healing via re-epithelialization. Bismuth Tribromophenate, an affordable petrolatum-based dressing, has been shown to have rapid re-epithelization of skin grafts and low infection rates in clean wound environments. A stick-down (SD) protocol has been developed to minimize the frequency of dressing changes. This SD protocol involves daily assessment and changing of the dressing until it begins to adhere to the underlying wound bed, where the dressing is then left in place as a protective layer as re-epithelialization occurs. The objective of this study is to characterize baseline features and compare outcomes associated with the SD dressing compared to non-stick-down (NSD) Bismuth Tribromophenate dressing. Methods Patients under 18 years treated at our institution for partial thickness burn injuries were retrospectively identified using our medical records. Demographic data, injury characteristics, dressing type, length of hospitalization, and outpatient outcomes were collected from these records. Statistical analysis between dressing types was achieved using Fisher’s exact test and Mann-Whitney U test, with statistical significance defined as p &amp;lt; 0.05. Results A total of 106 individuals receiving Bismuth Tribromophenate were identified. 36 patients received the Bismuth Tribromophenate SD dressing and 70 patients received NSD dressing. SD patients had a higher hospital admission rate compared to NSD patients (52.8% versus 33.3%, p = 0.088), though not statistically significant. 47.3% of admitted SD patients were admitted for burn severity compared to 25% in NSD patients. SD patients also had higher PICU admission rates compared to NSD patients (36.8% versus 4.8%, p = 0.017). SD patients also required initial debridement sedation more often (63.6% versus 36.7%, p = 0.017). SD and NSD patients had re-epithelialization rates of 66.7% and 65.6% (p = 1), respectively. Median time to re-epithelialization was 13 (10.8-17.2) days in SD patients compared to 12 (10-20) days in NSD patients (p = 1). Conclusions SD-receiving patients were more likely to be admitted to the hospital and admitted for burn severity. In contrast, patients receiving NSD were less likely to be admitted, but more commonly admitted for pain. SD-receiving patients were also more likely to be admitted to the PICU and require sedation for debridement. Despite this difference in baseline characteristics, re-epithelialization rates and time to re-epithelialization between SD and NSD patients were not statistically distinct, with comparable rates and days to healing. Applicability of Research to Practice Identifying cost-effective, efficacious, and convenient dressing protocols for the treatment of pediatric burns.

Pediatric Burns Debridement Under Sedoanalgesia During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cost-Effective Alternative.

Early debridement of childhood burns under sedoanalgesia in the emergency department (ED) may help to reduce the need of surgery and delay in treatment. We performed a retrospective study in burned children who underwent debridement in the ED under sedoanalgesia between March 2020 and December 2020 (COVID group), and were compared with the same months in 2019 (control group). Demographics, burns features, admission rate, and estimated costs associated were collected. A total of 733 children presented at the ED with burns (302 COVID group and 431 control group) without significant differences in burn features between them. Admission rate was significantly lower in COVID group (9.4% vs 19.4%; P < .001), as was the total associated cost for each group ($101 585 vs $209 656; P < .001). The use of sedoanalgesia for the early treatment of pediatric burns in the ED during COVID-19 pandemic is a cost-effective alternative that has reduced the need for hospital admission and associated costs.

91 Comparison of a Polylactic Acid Skin Substitute to Porcine Xenograft for Pediatric Partial Thickness Burns

IntroductionIn August of 2020, our institution transitioned from porcine xenograft to a polylactic acid skin substitute for the management of pediatric partial thickness burns. This change in treatment was due to the discontinuation of porcine xenograft by the primary supplier to the United States. We sought to make a length of stay (LOS), postoperative pain score, postoperative dressing change, and cost analysis of the polylactic acid skin substitute as compared to porcine xenograft for the treatment of pediatric burns.MethodsPatients were identified using an institutional Burn Center registry and linked to clinical and administrative data. All pediatric patients admitted between January 1st, 2019 and March 31st, 2021 who sustained partial thickness burns were eligible for inclusion. LOS, burn etiology, total burn surface area (TBSA), postoperative pain scores, postoperative dressing changes, complications, infections, and hospital cost were evaluated.ResultsA total of 259 patients were identified, 47 of whom received the polylactic acid skin substitute and 212 of whom received xenograft. Average age for polylactic acid skin substitute patients was 5.4 years with 51.1% male, average age for xenograft patients was 4.6 years with 58.5% male. Average LOS for polylactic acid skin substitute patients was 3.4 days and 3.2 days for xenograft patients (p = 0.45). Etiology of burns was 83.0% scald and 10.6% flame for polylactic acid skin substitute patients and 80.2% scald and 9.40% flame for xenograft patients (p = 0.66 and p = 0.71, respectively). Polylactic acid skin substitute patients had an average TBSA of 5.3% and xenograft patients an average TBSA of 4.3% (p = 0.11). Postoperative pain scores on postoperative day (POD) 1 were 1.1 for polylactic acid skin substitute and 1.2 for xenograft (p = 0.13). Average number of inpatient postoperative dressing changes was equivalent between the polylactic acid skin substitute and xenograft (p = 0.62), while average day of first postoperative dressing change was POD 10.9 for the polylactic acid skin substitute and POD 9.9 for xenograft (p = 0.15). Neither group had postoperative infections, though xenograft had a complication rate of 1% with 2 patients while the polylactic acid skin substitute had 0%. Polylactic acid skin substitute patients had an average hospital cost of $28,415 and xenograft patients an average of $27,935 (p = 0.80).ConclusionsA polylactic acid skin substitute is equivalent to porcine xenograft in LOS, postoperative pain, postoperative dressing changes, and cost in the setting of similar age, burn etiology, and %TBSA. More analysis with wound healing indices and safety profiles could determine the clinically superior choice.

A Retrospective Study of Touchless Spray for Pediatric Perineal Burns Treatment.

Silver-based topical treatments have seen widespread use for the management of burns due to silver's antimicrobial activity. Recent studies suggest that silver nanoparticles could negatively affect healing time due to their toxic effect on keratinocytes and fibroblasts at higher concentrations. Zinc oxide antimicrobial activity has been demonstrated in vitro, and results from animal studies are promising for burn management. At our ABA-verified pediatric burn center, the use of silver sulfadiazine cream ("Silvadene") has been slowly replaced by a zinc oxide/dimethicone spray-on solution ("Touchless Spray"). The dimethicone allows the spray to be occlusive without interfering with clothing, yet easily removed as opposed to Silvadene cream which requires wound scrubbing to remove and replace; potentially improving patient adherence with at-home treatments. This is the first study of zinc oxide's efficacy as a burn wound management agent in humans. We sought to compare the efficacy of silver sulfadiazine and that of zinc oxide/dimethicone to determine whether zinc oxide/dimethicone, in its easy-to-use form, is a viable alternative to silver sulfadiazine. We conducted a retrospective review of the electronic medical records of all patients treated for perineal, genital, perianal, suprapubic, or buttocks burn wounds at a large pediatric-verified burn center from January 1, 2014 to October 28, 2019. Only patients with superficial second-degree scald burns that arrived at our institution less than 24 hours after injury were included. Of a total 52 patients identified, 27 patients received silver sulfadiazine while 25 received zinc oxide/dimethicone. After initial evaluation and treatment by the burn team, all patients were followed up at our weekly burn clinic until complete healing was achieved. We retrospectively extracted demographic data, wound size, depth, and location, management strategies, time to complete healing, and incidence of infectious and noninfectious complications. The control group contained patients with total body surface area burns significantly greater than the zinc oxide/dimethicone group likely due to selective treatment when zinc oxide/dimethicone was first introduced at our facility. Time to healing was significantly lower in the zinc oxide/dimethicone intervention group (12.16 ± 8.644 days) than the silver sulfadiazine control group (16.89 ± 11.342 days). No infections were observed. Limitations include the relatively small sample sizes and differences in the size of burn wounds that confounded our results and likely negatively affected healing time in the control group. The zinc oxide/dimethicone group had a significantly lower healing time than the silver sulfadiazine group in the treatment of pediatric burns to the perineum, genitalia, suprapubis, and buttocks. Zinc oxide/dimethicone may prove to be a useful tool for treating burn wounds, and further study is needed to determine its efficacy and safety.

Supporting the Regional Network for Children with Burn Injuries in a Pediatric Referral Hospital for COVID-19.

Considerable reorganization of the regional network for pediatric burn treatment during the pandemic was required to cope with severe burn injuries in small children. In support of the emergency network for burns during the COVID-19 pandemic, we referred to regional indications for centralization in our hospital for all children aged less than 5 years who presented with severe burns, >15% of total body surface area (TBSA), or who necessitated admittance to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). A new service with a dedicated management protocol was set up to treat pediatric burns in our SARS-CoV-2 pediatric hospital during the lockdown period. A multidisciplinary burn treatment team was set up to offer compassionate and comprehensive burn care. Patient’s clinical data, burn features, treatment and follow up were recorded. A higher number of admissions was recorded from February to December 2020 compared with the same period in 2019 (52 vs. 32 admissions). Eighteen patients were admitted to the COVID-19 Service (10 M/8 F; 3.10 ± 2.6 yrs); ten children (55.5%) were hospitalized in the ward and eight in the ICU (44.5%). Fifty percent of the cases presented with lesions extending over >15% TBSA; in one case, TBSA was 35%. All patients suffered 2nd-degree burns; while five patients also had 3rd degree lesions covering more than 15% TBSA. All of the injuries occurred at home. No major secondary infections were recorded. Successful treatment was achieved in 94.4% of cases. The average length of stay was 15.2 ± 12.6 days. A proactive, carefully planned service, involving a multidisciplinary team, was created to ensure appropriate care in a pediatric hospital during the COVID-19 period, despite the effective pandemic associated challenges. Better health promotion in pediatric burn cases should also include dedicated TBSA assessment and a database of children’s burn characteristics.

A review of potential biomarkers for assessing physical and psychological trauma in paediatric burns.

Biological markers that evaluate physical healing as well as psychological impact of a burn are essential for effective treatment of paediatric burns. The objective of this review is to summarize the evidence supporting the use of biomarkers in children with burns. An extensive review of the literature was performed using PubMed. A total of 59 biomarkers were identified relating to burn presence, specifically relating to processes involved in inflammation, wound healing, growth and metabolism. In addition, biomarkers involved in the stress response cascade following a burn trauma were also identified. Although many biomarkers have been identified that are potentially associated with burn-related physical and psychological trauma, an understanding of burn biology is still lacking in children. We propose that future research in the field of children’s burns should be conducted using broad screening methods for identifying potential biomarkers, examine the biological interactions of different biomarkers, utilize child-appropriate biological fluids such as urine or saliva, and include a range of different severity burns. Through further research, the biological response to burn injury may be fully realized and clinically relevant diagnostic tests and treatment therapies utilizing these biomarkers could be developed, for the improvement of healing outcomes in paediatric burn patients.

Adequacy of cool running water first aid by healthcare professionals in the treatment of paediatric burns: Across-sectional study of 4537 children.

ObjectiveTo determine the adequacy of cool running water first aid provided by healthcare professionals in the early management of children with thermal burn injuries.MethodsA cross‐sectional study was undertaken using a prospectively collected registry of children who presented with a thermal burn to the only major paediatric burns centre in Queensland, Australia, from January 2013 to December 2018. Main outcome measures included the type and duration of first aid administered by paramedics, general practitioners and emergency providers at local general hospitals and a children's hospital. In accordance with current Australian guidelines, adequate cooling was defined as 20 min of cool running water within 3 h of the injury.ResultsOf the 4537 children who presented to the paediatric burns centre, 3261 (71.9%) received adequate first aid, including 1502 (33.1%) at the scene of injury. Paramedics and general practitioners administered adequate cooling to 184 (25.0%) and 52 (24.2%) of their patients, respectively. ED clinicians adhered to guidelines in the treatment of 1019 (56.3%) children at general hospitals and 411 (76.0%) at the children's hospital. Among ED patients who presented with incomplete prior first aid, the risk of inadequate cooling was significantly greater for those transported via ambulance (P < 0.001).ConclusionDeficiencies remain in the cooling of paediatric burns patients at all levels of initial management. There is a need in the healthcare community for improved education regarding the parameters and clinical benefits of cool running water first aid.

Interhospital variation of inpatient versus outpatient pediatric burn treatment after emergency department evaluation

BackgroundApproaches to burn care in the pediatric population are highly variable and can be targeted as a potential measure in cost-reduction. We hypothesized that institutions vary significantly in treatment allocation of nonsevere burns to either inpatient or outpatient care. MethodsWe queried the PHIS database for fiscal year 2017 to quantify small pediatric burn admissions and Emergency Department visits (ED). The ICD-10 code T31.0 was used to identify burns involving <10% of total body surface area (TBSA). Centers were categorized by burn center status and length of stay, readmissions, and charges were compared. ResultsInpatient versus outpatient management distribution was significantly different across the included pediatric children's hospitals (n = 34, p < 0.00001). When data were analyzed with respect to outpatient care, a bimodal distribution distinguished two groups: high hospital utilizers with an average of 30% outpatient burn care and low-utilizers averaging 87%. Median inpatient charge per patient was greater than 31-fold compared to ED burn management (p < 0.0001). ConclusionsVariability of inpatient versus outpatient pediatric burn management in small burns was significant. Compared to outpatient burn care, inpatient care is significantly more costly. Implementing protocols and personnel to provide adequate attention to small burns in the ED could be an important cost-saving measure. Type of studyRetrospective analysis. Level of evidenceLevel III.

Advantage of Early Tangential Necrectomy in Extensive Pediatric Burns

Background: An extensive burn is one of the most serious injuries. The modern treatment of pediatric burns is a logical exercise in resuscitation, infection control, surgical wound care, nutrition and psychologic and physical rehabilitation. The conventional methods of local therapy, especially in extensive and deep burns, cannot prevent infection. The fact is that the necrotic burn tissue always gives rise to infection and must therefore be excised. Tangential excision is a diagnostic procedure as well as a surgical preparation of a recipient bed for skin graft. Clinical parameters of sixty extensively burned children have been evaluated, divided into two groups (surgically and non-surgically treated) and in four subgroups (under and over the 25% TBSA). The following criteria have been used to compare the results: pain, fever, body weight, duration of the hospital stay, wound infenction, laboratory values.&#x0D; Aim of research: The aim of our research was to demonstrate the efficacy of early tangential necrectomy in the treatment of extensive burns in children as well as in preventing the burn diseases.&#x0D; Material and methods: Clinical parameters of sixty extensively burned children have been evaluated, divided into two groups (surgically and non-surgically treated) and in four subgroups (under and over the 25% TBSA). The following criteria have been used to compare the results: pain, fever, body weight, duration of the hospital stay, wound infection, laboratory values.&#x0D; Results: The boys comprised 58.3% of the respondents and the girls were 41,7% of the respondents. The most common cause was the hot liquid of 73.3%, open flame 23.3% and the contact with hot metal 3.3%. The body temperature was significantly higher in control group compared to the examined group (p &lt;0.001) significantly lower hematocrit values in the control group compared to the examined group (p = 0.002). The results show that hospitalization lasted considerably longer in patients in the control group than in the examined group (p = 0.003).&#x0D; The incidence of bacterial infection of the burns is significantly higher in control compared to the examined group of patients (p = 0.007). The most commonly isolated bacteria in the study group was Staphylococcus aureus (15/30 or 50% of all subjects). Acinetobacter spp. was isolated in 9 patients (30% of respondents). Serratia spp. And Enterococcus Foecalis were isolated in 6 patients (20%). Pseudomonas aeruginosa was isolated in 3 patients (10%). Three patients (10%) did not isolate any bacteria during hospitalization&#x0D; Conclusions: The method of early tangential necrectomy of extensively burned children significantly reduce morbidity and mortality (it improves the general condition of the patient, improves clinical and laboratory parameters, reduces the possibility of infection of the wound, reduces the possibility of sepsis, reduces the length of hospitalization).The most optimal time to perform an early tangential necrectomy is the period between the 4th and the 6th day after the injury. In extensively burned children over 30% of the total body surface, an early tangential necrectomy should be performed on an area of about 20% of the total body surface as a prevention of blood loss due to necrectomy and autotransplantation. With extensively burned children over 40% of the total body surface, taking homotransplants from parents or close relatives reduces morbidity and mortality.

67 Inter-Hospital Variation of Inpatient versus Outpatient Pediatric Burn Treatment after Emergency Department Evaluation

67 Inter-Hospital Variation of Inpatient versus Outpatient Pediatric Burn Treatment after Emergency Department Evaluation

Effectiveness of a hydrogel dressing as an analgesic adjunct to first aid for the treatment of acute paediatric thermal burn injuries: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

BackgroundBurns are a painful and traumatic experience, particularly in children. Reduced pain and anxiety positively influences re-epithelialisation rates in paediatric burn patients, however current literature fails to fully explain the effects of pain and anxiety and their links with wound healing. This study will determine if Burnaid® hydrogel dressing is an effective treatment for reducing pain in the acute period of a burn injury. It is hypothesised that a reduction in pain will then improve re-epithelialisation time in comparison to plastic wrap, which is standard practice at our institution — a metropolitan tertiary paediatric hospital located in Brisbane, Australia.Methods/designA randomised controlled trial will be conducted to assess the effectiveness of Burnaid® as an analgesic adjunct to cold running water first aid for the treatment of paediatric burns. Participants will include children aged between 0 and 16 years with an acute thermal burn injury (total burn surface area < 20%) presenting to the Department of Emergency within 24 h of the burn occurring. Participants will be randomised into one of two groups: (1) Burnaid® hydrogel (intervention arm) or (2) plastic wrap (control arm). Participants will also be stratified into one of two groups based on factors that influence pain intensity: (1) high pain risk or (2) low pain risk. High pain risk factors include foot burns, hot coal/ash/fire pit burns, burn area greater than 5%, and circumferential burns. The primary outcome is the intervention’s effect on reducing acute pain. Secondary outcomes include days to re-epithelialisation, pulse rate, temperature, salivary cortisol and α-amylase, anxiety, and cost-effectiveness. Sample size calculations have shown that 36 participants will be recruited into each group.DiscussionThis study will provide comprehensive data on the analgesic properties of Burnaid® as an adjunct to first aid for the treatment of acute paediatric thermal burns. If the intervention is effective in reducing pain, Burnaid® will be integrated as standard practice within the hospital’s Department of Emergency. This study replicates a real-world scenario in order to identify clinically significant analgesic and wound-healing effects.Trial registrationAustralian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, ACTRN12617001274369. Prospectively registered on 5 Sept 2017.

Discussion on the related problems of pediatric burn treatment

The incidence of pediatric burn is high currently. Many clinical problems in the treatment of pediatric burn are composed of fluid replacement during shock stage, wound treatment, nutrition and metabolism etc, which urgently need to be sorted out and updated again to make corresponding clinical guidelines, criteria, or consensus for standardizing the clinical diagnosis and treatment, so as to improve the clinical treatment level of pediatric burn.

One World, One Standard for Burn Care: Nursing's Role in Global Health

In 1978, a landmark United Nations conference in Alma-Ata declared the goal of health for all by the year 2000 (WHO, 1978). Yet, today significant disparities exist between the health care afforded individuals in resource-limited countries and those in the industrialized world. Nursing, as a global profession, can become a powerful force for change so that better health is universally achieved.&#x0D; Problem/Background: This project started with a partnership between a burn center in the United States and a pediatric burn center (Burn Center) in Peru, a country in which it is estimated that 15,000 children endure burn injuries each year (Huby-Vidaurre, 2016). Most are under the age of five, and suffer scald burns from pots with hot liquids left to cool on the floors of their homes. Pressure garment therapy (PGT) is a major treatment to reduce scarring for pediatric burn survivors in the United States since the early 1970s, but is unavailable in Peru.&#x0D; Strategy: The Doctor of Nursing Practice project leader worked with the Burn Center team to develop a plan to use PGT as an intervention to address disfiguring scarring among pediatric burn survivors, utilizing the twinning approach.&#x0D; Methods: This quality improvement project involved interdisciplinary collaboration and international partnerships between resource-rich and resource-challenged nations. Obtaining supplies needed to promote PGT in Peru required cultivating relationships with many people in the United States, including translators and interpreters to assist in overcoming language barriers among the participants, manufacturers and distributors of pressure garments to donate fabrics, and people regularly traveling to Peru who transported the donated PGT materials. It also involved working closely with the Burn Center team on developing a culture conducive to conforming to an international standard of practice.&#x0D; Results: Resources were successfully leveraged to build a sustainable PGT program for all pediatric burn survivors in Peru.&#x0D; Conclusion: Forging partnerships between the U.S. and Peru utilizing the twinning approach led to implementation of PGT, allowing for a best practice standard of care in the treatment of pediatric burns.

Creation of a Pediatric Burn Clinic

Pediatric burns are a major source of morbidity and healthcare expenditure in the United States. Options and availability for outpatient pediatric burn treatment can be limited, potentially leading to high medical costs and delay in proper treatment. In our local community, there was no adequate, cost-effective outpatient treatment for patients with pediatric burn. In 2007, clinicians who specialize in pediatric burn care developed an outpatient pediatric burn clinic. The treatment team consisted of a pediatric nurse practitioner and four pediatric surgeons from the local children's hospital. Since opening, over 1,200 patients have been treated on a strictly outpatient basis. Kurt Lewin's three-stage model of change provided a conceptual model. The constructs include unfreeze the model pattern of burn referrals, change the pattern, and then work through a refreezing process. The burn clinic filled a need in the community by providing cost-effective outpatient specialty treatment for patients with pediatric burns. The future includes continuing ongoing marketing to the referring pediatric groups and outlying emergency department providers, expansion of staff to meet the growing needs of the community, and burn prevention community outreach.

Use of growth hormone in the treatment of pediatric burns

Hypermetabolic response is characterized by a hyperdynamic circulatory response, with increased body temperature; increased oxygen and glucose consumption; increased carbon dioxide production; hyperglycemia (raised blood sugar levels); peripheral insulin resistance; glycogenolysis, proteolysis, and lipolysis (i.e. the breakdown of glycogen, protein, and lipids, respectively); the loss of lean body mass; and muscle and bone wasting. These symptoms can last for 1-2 years after the burn injury. Failure to satisfy overwhelming energy and protein requirements results in multiorgan dysfunction and an increased susceptibility for infection and death. Immunocompromization and delayed wound healing usually result in severe sepsis, which is the most common direct cause of death in these patients. Nevertheless, providing adequate caloric and protein requirements alone was found to be insufficient to attenuate the hypermetabolic response efficiently. Thereby, various pharmacologic modalities to modulate metabolic response have become a corner stone in the management of severely burned patients. Recombinant growth hormone is the most frequently prescribed agent in pediatrics. This review will focus on the metabolic and immune responses to the use of recombinant growth hormone in pediatric burn patients. It will explore what is beyond growth hormone and the role of insulin-like growth factor-1 in modulation of immunity and apoptosis.

Clinical evaluation of a silver-impregnated foam dressing in paediatric partial-thickness burns.

Mepilex Ag, a silver-impregnated foam dressing, was introduced to our institution in 2007 and our outcomes in the treatment of paediatric burns were observed to improve significantly. In order to confirm these observations, we wanted to evaluate the results of using the silver-impregnated foam dressing in partial-thickness paediatric burns. In this retrospective study, the St. Christopher's Hospital burn registry was used to identify subjects, who were otherwise in excellent health at baseline, over an18-month period. Outcomes included length of stay, intravenous narcotic use, and time to healing. No direct comparative studies were performed. This was followed by a non-comparative prospective study involving 22 paediatric patients, aged 1-4 years, with partial-thickness burns. This was a sub-study of a larger randomised controlled trial involving adults with partial-thickness burns, comparing the silver-impregnated foam dressing with Silvadene. In the retrospective part of the study, the silver-impregnated foam dressing was used successfully for the treatment of partial-thickness paediatric burns, with few complications and infections, allowing a shorter hospital stay, fewer dressings, and less pain medication than for historical controls. In the non-comparative prospective study, of 22 paediatric patients 50% healed completely within 1 week of treatment. The mean length of stay was 3.77 days and the mean number of dressings used was 1.64. Although narcotic usage was not assessed, patient surveys showed stinging or burning to be recorded as 'never' in 13 patients, 'rarely' in 8 patients, and 'sometimes' in 1 patient. The silver-impregnated foam dressing is effective and safe for use in partial-thickness paediatric burns, eliminating the need for daily dressings. The study was supported by an educational grant from Mölnlycke Health Care.

The past 25 years of pediatric burn treatment in Graz and important lessons been learned. An overview

IntroductionThe aim of this study was to characterize the epidemiology of pediatric and adolescent burns admitted to the Children's Burns Unit at the Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Austria, between January 1st 1988 and December 31st 2012. MethodsThis is a retrospective review over the past 25-years and describes admission rate by gender and age groups, causes of burns, anatomical sites of burns, extent and depth of injury, length of hospital stay, child abuse and in-hospital mortality. ResultsIn the studied 25 year-period, 1586 pediatric burn patients were admitted. 1451 patients were “acute” admissions, 64 “secondary” admissions and 71 patients did not fulfill the inclusion criteria. Of the 1451 patients, 930 (64%) were male and 521 (36%) female. The majority of patients – 880 or 60.6% – were children from 1 to 5 years of age. Domestic burns occurring at home resulted in 1164 (80.2%) of injuries and scalds were the most common type of thermal trauma with 945 (65.1%) patients. According to the extent of injury 1106 (76.2%) patients suffered burns of <10% with an median length of hospital stay of 3 days. 14 children (0.98%) – 8 girls and 6 boys – were confirmed victims of abuse and 4 patients (0.3%) died. ConclusionThe study provides a good opportunity to review changes in burn care over a long time period, at a single center, including children and adolescents, with stable surgical and rehabilitation staff. The data is also important for the design of prevention programs and establishment of burn care capacities, since the analysis showed no change in the incidence of burn related admissions over the time period studied.