Acute septic cholecystitis in patients with burn injuries

Acute cholecystitis continues to be a life-threatening complication in patients after trauma. In an 18-month period we have recognized and treated five patients with burn injuries who had acute cholecystitis. They ranged in age from 13 to 40 years. Four of the five patients had positive blood cultures and all five patients had positive bile cultures. The diagnosis was made on the basis of unexplained sepsis and an abnormal sonogram or hepatobiliary scan. Four patients underwent cholecystectomy and one patient underwent a cholecystostomy. Four patients survived and were discharged from the hospital. All five patients were receiving nutritional support. Factors such as prolonged fasting, dehydration, narcotic administration, and sepsis have been suggested as contributing factors in the development of acute cholecystitis. Acute cholecystitis is a serious complication in such patients and must be considered and treated promptly. Serial ultrasound studies have been helpful in managing patients suspected of having acute septic cholecystitis.     

Post-traumatic stress disorder in hospitalized patients with burn injuries

The degree to which patients hospitalized for a major burn displayed symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder or met the full criteria for this disorder was assessed during the course of hospitalization. Fifty-four consecutive patients were screened weekly for symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. Sixty-three percent showed intrusive recollections of the initial trauma (partial diagnostic criteria) and 16 (29.6%) of the sample met full criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder at some point during the hospitalization. None of the patients met the full diagnostic criteria at discharge from the hospital, although one did at follow-up. Post-traumatic stress disorder was found to be related to patients' total body surface area burn, length of hospital stay, sex (female patients), and lack of responsibility for the injury. The results suggest that although post-traumatic stress disorder in patients with burn injuries generally resolves without interventions other than standard hospital care, it might be preventable if patients who are at risk for developing it receive appropriate psychologic treatment soon after the injury.     

Adult patients looking at their burn injuries for the first time

A total of 222 burn nurses from 30 burn centers completed a questionnaire about how and when a burn patient looks at their burn wound for the first time. The registered nurse is most frequently with the patient when the patient sees the wound for the first time (n = 187; 84%). Looking at the wound is not usually a planned event, and it is not documented in the patient record. Nurses use verbal and nonverbal patient cues to determine when it is appropriate for the patient to look initially at the wound and combine this initial look with an opportunity to teach wound healing. The patient asks the nurse for an opinion about the way the wound looks (n = 181; 81.5%). The nurse uses silence, presence-of-self, and gentle encouragement with the patient while remaining positive and honest. Respondents reported that the patient wants the truth but also needs reassurance and some degree of optimism when viewing the wound for the first time.     

The use of inhaled nitric oxide as adjuvant therapy in patients with burn injuries and respiratory failure

Inhaled nitric oxide (NO) is a relatively new modality in the management of acute respiratory distress syndrome. The purpose of this study was to examine our experience with inhaled NO in 10 adult patients with burn injuries and acute respiratory distress syndrome-related oxygenation failure. The patients had a mean age of 50 +/- 19 years and a mean burn size of 41% +/- 20% of the total body surface area. Seven patients died and 3 survived. The survivors and nonsurvivors did not differ with respect to age, burn size, pre-NO ventilator settings, or indices of oxygenation including PaO2, oxygen saturation in arterial blood, PaO2/fraction of inspired oxygen (FIO2) ratio, and alveolar-arterial oxygen tension difference. The concentration of NO administered ranged between 5 ppm and 30 ppm. PaO2, oxygen saturation in arterial blood, and the PaO2/FIO2 ratio increased in all patients. Although it was not statistically significant, survivors tended to have a more vigorous and sustained response than non-survivors; this was best exemplified by the change in PFR. During the first hour of therapy, the PaO2/FIO2 ratio increased from 64.3 +/- 12.7 to 231.8 +/- 154.5 in survivors and from 93.9 +/- 44.0 to 161.5 +/- 81.8 in the nonsurvivors. After 12 hours of therapy, the PaO2/FIO2 ratio was 306.2 +/- 333.7 in the survivors and 178.9 +/- 69.9 in the nonsurvivors. There were no complications associated with the use of inhaled NO. Although a stronger early response to NO seems to occur in survivors, we cannot definitely conclude that the early response pattern is predictive of recovery. Nonetheless, we believe that inhaled NO has a useful role in the treatment of patients with burn injuries and severe acute respiratory distress syndrome-related oxygenation failure.     

Infection prevention and treatment in patients with major burn injuries

Infection is a significant challenge in burn care, particularly for those patients who have major burn injuries. This article aims to review the literature and establish best practice in prevention and treatment of infection in patients with major burns. The article considers the causes and clinical features of wound infection, and examines systemic and local methods of prevention and treatment.     

The efficacy of bioelectrostimulation in treating patients with burn injuries]

The paper describes the data obtained by Soviet and American physicians who took part in the treatment of patients burnt in the Bashkiria accident (an outburst of petroleum products). It was established that in deep burns bioelectrostimulation combined with early necrectomy and autodermoplasty yielded the best therapeutic results.     

Treating sleep problems in patients with burn injuries: practical considerations

Sleep disorders are a frequent but under-addressed complication of burn injuries. Burn injuries can potentially disrupt sleep for a variety of reasons, including the physiological effects of trauma as well as ramifications of treatment (ie, intensive care unit environment, pain, itching, medications). The literature on sleep disorders and burn injuries is reviewed, and suggestions for treatment are provided. Treatment is divided into two major types: nonpharmacologic and pharmacologic. Nonpharmacologic treatment, also referred to as behavioral techniques, may include any one or combination of the following: sleep hygiene, stimulus control, sleep restriction, relaxation techniques, cognitive, and light therapy. Pharmacologic therapies may include hypnotics (benzodiazepine, nonbenzodiazepine, or benzodiazepine receptor agonists), antidepressants, over-the-counter preparations, hormone replacement therapy, herbs, and melatonin.     

严重烧伤患者创伤后成长的质性研究

目的探索严重烧伤患者创伤后成长的心路历程。方法采用现象学研究方法,以目的抽样法抽取10例康复后期的严重烧伤患者,进行深度访谈。结果多种因素可促进患者创伤后成长过程,主要体现在个人力量、新生活哲学、与亲密的人分享自我情感、苦难衍生的利他4个维度。结论访谈获得的严重烧伤患者创伤后成长维度,与美国Tedeschi和Calhoun提出的创伤后成长维度既有共性,也存在文化差异。     

The management of self-inflicted burn injuries and disruptive behavior for patients with borderline personality disorder

One of the greatest behavioral and ethical challenges faced by a burn team is the treatment of a patient whose burn injury is the result of parasuicidal behavior. Parasuicidal behavior is defined as intentional self-injurious behavior that, although not fatal, may result in tissue damage or risk of death. There are a number of reasons, usually psychiatric, that patients engage in parasuicidal behavior; however, our contention is that the majority of these patients have a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition Axis II diagnosis of borderline personality disorder. We describe the nature of borderline personality disorder and how it leads to disruptive behavior, including self-harm behavior, on the burn unit, We also argue that if staff members fail to recognize the borderline personality disorder diagnosis, it will lead to responses from staff that can heighten disruptive behavior. We present a series of recommendations for treating such patients with burns and an illustrative case report.     

Management of burn injuries: a rationale for the use of temporary synthetic skin substitutes?

Burn injuries can be difficult to dress adequately, particularly if they are partial thickness, when nerves retain their sensitivity. A temporary skin substitute has been found to have a number of advantages in dressing these wounds.     

Gait variables of patients after lower extremity burn injuries

Functional ambulation is an expected outcome of physical therapy after burn injuries on the lower extremities. The purpose of this study was to document temporal and spatial gait parameters of adult patients with the use of the GAITRite system (CIR Systems Inc, Clifton, NJ) after the patients were burned on their lower extremities and to compare these results with previous data reported for normal subjects. Twenty-five adults with lower extremity burns (19 men and 6 women; mean age, 35.6+/-8.3 years) were evaluated within 5 days of discharge from an acute care facility. The GAITRite system, which consists of an electronic walkway that contains 6 sensor pads encapsulated in a rolled-up carpet, was used to collect temporal and spatial variables. The patients walked at their preferred rate of ambulation and completed 2 passes; the 2 passes were then averaged by the software to determine the patients' gait parameters. A 2-tailed t test was used for comparison of the mean values for the patients and the previously published data. The results indicated that for both men and women, cycle time and base of support were significantly higher (P < or = .01) in the patients with burn injuries than in normal subjects. For men, all of the remaining parameters were significantly lower (P < or = .01) in the patients with burns except stride length, which was not significantly different (P > .05). For women, stance time as a percentage of the gait cycle and cadence, velocity, step length, and stride length, were all significantly lower (P < or = .01) in the patients with burn injuries, whereas double support as a percentage of the gait cycle was not significantly different (P > .05) between the 2 groups. These results indicate that immediately after an acute care hospitalization, patients with lower extremity burns have significantly different gait patterns than gender-and age-matched normal subjects. Future studies are necessary to determine whether these impairments in gait limit the functional abilities of a patient.     

Rehabilitation of burn injuries

Burn rehabilitation is a complex and difficult process for the burn survivor, his or her family, and the entire treatment team. This article describes the best approaches in burn care, including the use of a multidisciplinary team that emphasizes functional restoration through aggressive wound care, pain management, mobilization, and psychologic support.     

The efficacy and safety of fentanyl for the management of severe procedural pain in patients with burn injuries

Fentanyl has been shown to be effective for the management of intense pain of short duration. We have recently used intravenous fentanyl for burn wound procedures because of its rapid onset, high potency, and short duration. In this report, we reviewed our experience with fentanyl in a variety of procedural burn pain settings to develop specific recommendations about its effectiveness and safety for the treatment of pain in patients with burn injuries. The medical records of patients with burn injuries who received fentanyl for wound procedures over a 2-year period were retrospectively reviewed. Patient demographics, the amount of fentanyl administered, the level of analgesia achieved, and the incidence of adverse effects were analyzed. Fifty-five patients who were 9 months to 75 years old with burn wounds (range, 1%-90% of total body surface area) received 148 doses of fentanyl for the treatment of procedural pain. An average of 8.0 +/- 7.0 microg/kg of fentanyl (range, 0.7 to 38.0 microg/kg) was required for the first wound procedure with fentanyl. No correlation between dosage of fentanyl given and either age or percentage of total body surface area burned was observed. Transient respiratory depression was observed in 17 patients (31%). No patient required intubation or additional supplemental oxygen after the conclusion of the procedure. High doses of fentanyl are required to achieve adequate analgesia during some burn wound procedures. Respiratory depression associated with fentanyl use is transient but requires adequate preparation and trained personnel. Fentanyl may be effectively integrated into the pain control strategy for patients with burn injuries.     

Risk management in children with burn injuries

The currently accepted "high risk/no risk" concept of assessing pediatric injuries inadequately describes the range of situations in which children are burned and the spectrum of appropriate interventions. All children are at risk for injury; the question is not when but how best to intervene. A retrospective chart analysis of 101 pediatric admissions in 1985 demonstrated that childhood burns and follow-up requirements varied, depending on circumstances of injury, presence and behavior of caregivers, and the ability of parents or caregivers to assume responsibility for the child's supervision, safety, and health needs. We must view childrens' risk for injury as dependent upon the supervisory capacity of their parents, and continue to identify and develop specific interventions appropriate to each level of understanding and responsibility. Adequate documentation of the circumstances of injury and parent behavior are the key factors in determining level of risk and appropriate management.