Barriers to adequate first aid for paediatric burns at the scene of the injury

Associations of urban versus rural patient residence on outcomes after burn: A national inpatient sample database study

INTRODUCTION

Burn patients in rural areas may encounter poorer outcomes associated with barriers to care; however, residence has not been studied in a large sample. The association between rural-versus-urban residence and outcomes after burn was examined using the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database.

METHODS

Using the 2019 NIS database, patients over 18 years with a primary diagnosis of burn or corrosive injury were included. Level of urbanization was categorized into six groups. Outcomes after burn such as in-hospital mortality, multifactorial shock, prolonged mechanical ventilation, length of stay, and total costs were analyzed after adjusting for demographic factors and hospital characteristics.

RESULTS

We included 4671 records, which represented a weighted population of 23,085 patients. Rural residence was associated with higher percentage of prior transfer but not in-hospital mortality. Compared to the most urbanized counties, encounters from the most rural counties were associated with higher odds of shock (aOR:2.62, 99% CI: 1.04-6.56, p = 0.007).

CONCLUSION

Burn encounters from less urbanized counties did not experience differences in mortality, rates of skin grafting, prolonged mechanical ventilation, length of stay, or overall costs. However, odds of shock were higher among the least urbanized counties. Despite improved triage and transportation systems across the US, disparities and challenges exist for burn patients from rural residence.

Barriers and facilitators to burn first aid practice in the prehospital setting: A qualitative investigation amongst emergency medical service clinicians

First aid cooling for burn injuries improves re-epithelialisation rates and reduces scarring. The objective of this research was to explore and describe barriers and facilitators to the provision of optimal first aid for acute burn patients in the prehospital setting. Emergency medical service (EMS) clinicians in Queensland were invited via email to participate in a survey designed to assess experience, knowledge, and attitudes regarding provision of optimal burn first aid in the prehospital setting (N = 4500). Barriers and facilitators to administering optimal first aid in the prehospital environment were assessed via two open-ended questions with free-text response boxes. An inductive approach to qualitative content analysis was used to analyze free-text data. In total, we included 326 respondents (7.2% response rate). Responses (n = 231) regarding barriers to first aid were classified into 12 categories, within five overarching dimensions. The most common of these was identified as pain. Similarly, free text responses (n = 276) regarding facilitators of burn first aid formed eight dimensions with 21 subcategories - most commonly fast and effective pain relief. Factors influencing burn first aid provision in the prehospital setting were wide-ranging and varied, with pain identified as the most prominent.

A Review of Petrol Burns in Australia and New Zealand

Petrol-related thermal burns cause significant morbidity and mortality worldwide and it has been established that they affect young males disproportionately. Beyond this, we sought to identify the difference in the characteristics and outcomes of burns between males and females in an international population. Such differences may highlight areas for future preventative strategies. The Burns Registry of Australia and New Zealand was used. Petrol burns that resulted in a hospital admission in those 16 years or older between January 2010 and December 2019 were included. A total of 2833 patients were included. The median age was 35 years with most patients being male (88%). Burns from a campfire or burnoffs were most common. Females were more likely to suffer burns due to assault or from deliberate self-harm. The total body surface area affected by burns was higher for females than males (10% vs 8%). Furthermore, females more frequently required ICU admission, escharotomies, and had a longer hospital length of stay. The unadjusted mortality rate for females was more than double the rate for males (5.8% vs 2.3%). This international study demonstrates that whilst men more frequently suffer petrol burns, women suffer more severe burns, require more intensive and longer hospitalizations and have a higher mortality rate. These findings may inform changes in preventative health policies globally to mitigate against these concerning findings.

Disadvantaged by More Than Distance: A Systematic Literature Review of Injury in Rural Australia

Rural populations experience injury-related mortality and morbidity rates 1.5 times greater than metropolitan residents. Motivated by a call for stronger epidemiological evidence around rural injuries to inform prevention, a systematic review of peer-reviewed literature published between January 2010 and March 2021 was undertaken to explore the epidemiology of rural injury and associated risk factors in Australia. A subsequent aim was to explore definitions of rurality used in injury prevention studies. There were 151 papers included in the review, utilizing 23 unique definitions to describe rurality. People living in rural areas were more likely to be injured, for injuries to be more severe, and for injuries to have greater resulting morbidity than people in metropolitan areas. The increase in severity reflects the mechanism of rural injury, with rural injury events more likely to involve a higher energy exchange. Risk-taking behavior and alcohol consumption were significant risk factors for rural injury, along with rural cluster demographics such as age, sex, high socio-economic disadvantage, and health-related comorbidities. As injury in rural populations is multifactorial and nonhomogeneous, a wide variety of evidence-based strategies are needed. This requires funding, political leadership for policy formation and development, and implementation of evidence-based prevention interventions.

Management of non-severe burn wounds in children and adolescents: optimising outcomes through all stages of the patient journey

Paediatric burn injuries are common, especially in children younger than 5 years, and can lead to poor physical and psychosocial outcomes in the long term. In this Review, we aim to summarise the key factors and interventions before hospital admission and following discharge that can improve the long-term outcomes of paediatric burns. Care can be optimised through first aid treatment, correct initial assessment of burn severity, and appropriate patient referral to a burns centre. Scar prevention or treatment and patient follow-up after discharge are also essential. As most burn injuries in children are comparatively small and readily survivable, this Review does not cover the perioperative management associated with severe burns that require fluid resuscitation, or inhalational injury. Burns disproportionately affect children from low socioeconomic backgrounds and those living in low-income and middle-income countries, with ample evidence to suggest that there remains scope for low-cost interventions to improve care for those patients with the greatest burden of burn injury. Current knowledge gaps and future research directions are discussed.

Poorer first aid after burn is associated with remoteness in Australia: Where to from here?

OBJECTIVE

Early intervention with appropriate first aid following burn injury improves clinical outcomes. Previous evidence suggests geographic remoteness may be a barrier to receiving appropriate burns first aid. This study investigated the prevalence of gold standard first aid in patients managed in Australian burn services and whether geographic remoteness was associated with receiving gold standard first aid.

DESIGN

Registry-based cohort study.

SETTING

Binational clinical quality registry.

PARTICIPANTS

Burn-injured patients admitted to a specialist Australian burn service.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Receiving gold standard first aid following a burn injury.

RESULTS

Approximately two-thirds of patients received gold standard first aid. Patients whose burns were sustained in very remote regions had a greater risk of receiving no first aid, compared to gold standard first aid, relative to patients who sustained their burn injuries in major cities.

CONCLUSIONS

Nearly two-thirds of patients received gold standard burns first aid following injury. However, patients who were injured in the most remote regions of Australia were at an increased risk of not receiving gold standard first aid treatment within 3 hours of injury. Further examination of factors contributing to poorer first aid standards in remote areas is required.

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

Objective

To determine the adequacy of cool running water first aid provided by healthcare professionals in the early management of children with thermal burn injuries.

Methods

A 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.

Results

Of 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).

Conclusion

Deficiencies 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.

Mixed-methods process evaluation of SafeTea: a multimedia campaign to prevent hot drink scalds in young children and promote burn first aid

Objectives

SafeTea is a multifaceted intervention delivered by community practitioners to prevent hot drink scalds to young children and improve parents’ knowledge of appropriate burn first aid. We adapted SafeTea for a national multimedia campaign, and present a mixed-methods process evaluation of the campaign.

Methods

We used social media, a website hosting downloadable materials and media publicity to disseminate key messages to parents/caregivers of young children and professionals working with these families across the UK. The SafeTea campaign was launched on National Burns Awareness Day (NBAD), October 2019, and ran for 3 months. Process evaluation measurements included social media metrics, Google Analytics, and quantitative and qualitative results from a survey of professionals who requested hard copies of the materials via the website.

Results

Findings were summarised under four themes: ‘reach’, ‘engagement’, ‘acceptability’ and ‘impact/behavioural change’. The launch on NBAD generated widespread publicity. The campaign reached a greater number of the target audience than anticipated, with over 400 000 views of the SafeTea educational videos. Parents and professionals engaged with SafeTea and expressed positive opinions of the campaign and materials. SafeTea encouraged parents to consider how to change their behaviours to minimise the risks associated with hot drinks. Reach and engagement steadily declined after the first month due to reduced publicity and social media promotion.

Conclusion

The SafeTea campaign was successful in terms of reach and engagement. The launch on NBAD was essential for generating media interest. Future campaigns could be shorter, with more funding for additional social media content and promotion.

Cool Running Water First Aid Decreases Skin Grafting Requirements in Pediatric Burns: A Cohort Study of Two Thousand Four Hundred Ninety-five Children

STUDY OBJECTIVE

First-aid guidelines recommend the administration of cool running water in the early management of thermal injury. Our objective is to analyze the associations between first aid and skin-grafting requirements in children with burns.

METHODS

This cohort study used a prospectively collected registry of patients managed at a tertiary children's hospital. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to evaluate the relationship between first aid and the requirement for skin grafting. Secondary outcomes included time to re-epithelialization, wound depth, hospital admission and length of stay, and operating room interventions. Adequate first aid was defined as 20 minutes of cool running water within 3 hours of injury.

RESULTS

In our cohort of 2,495 children, 2,259 (90.6%) received first aid involving running water, but only 1,780 (71.3%) were given the adequate duration. A total of 236 children (9.5%) required grafting. The odds of grafting were decreased in the adequate first aid group (odds ratio [OR] 0.6; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.4 to 0.8). The provision of adequate running water was further associated with reductions in full-thickness depth (OR 0.4; 95% CI 0.2 to 0.6), hospital admission (OR 0.7; 95% CI 0.3 to 0.9), and operating room interventions (OR 0.7; 95% CI 0.5 to 0.9), but not hospital length of stay (hazard ratio=0.9; 95% CI 0.7 to 1.2; P=.48).

CONCLUSION

Burn severity and clinical outcomes improved with the administration of cool running water. Adequate first aid must be prioritized by out-of-hospital and emergency medical services in the preliminary management of pediatric burns.