Use of two-dimensional projection for estimating hand surface area of Chinese adults

Utility of palm and hand surface area in approximating burn extent in Burundian adults and children

The use of palm and hand surface areas to approximate the extent of burns is as widespread as it is facile. However, direct comparison of measured palm and hand surface areas to total body surface areas (TBSA) have demonstrated variable accuracy in different patient populations. We measured the palm and hand surface areas of 353 Burundian adults and children, including 23 underweight children and compared those values with 0.5% and 1%, respectively, of the calculated TBSA via Mosteller, Dubois, and Haycock formulae. We used Student's t-test to analyze for significant departure from predicted values. For 100 Burundian adults with a median BMI of 21.7 the palm and hand surface areas represented 0.40% and 0.77% TBSA, respectively. For 253 Burundian children, the mean palm and hand surface are represented 0.44% and 0.86% TBSA, respectively. Subgroup analysis of underweight children (BMI < 18.5 or Z-score ≤-2 weight for height) revealed values of 0.45% and 0.88% for palm and hand areas. Our data indicate that using values of 0.5% TBSA for the palm and/or 1% TBSA for the hand overestimates the actual burn extent and would be improved with a correction factor for Burundian patients.

Experimental Study on Manned/Unmanned Thermal Environment in Radar Electronic Shelter Based on Different Air Supply Conditions

Studies on the thermal environment of the electronic radar shelter have been mainly focused on the simulation of the unmanned thermal environment, and there have been few studies on experiments in the thermal environment. Additionally, a comparative study of the experimental results from manned and unmanned shelters has been missing. In this paper, we experimented in thermal environments of manned/unmanned shelter under different air supply conditions. The experiment was divided into cooled, ventilated, and heated trials analyzing three aspects: (1) The average temperature distributions of walls, air inlet points, air outlet points, and surfaces were measured over time under different conditions in an unmanned shelter. The temperature distribution curve was fitted into the function. (2) Based on different working conditions, the temperature distribution experiments were carried out in three different areas for subjects wearing short or long clothing respectively. (3) The wind speed was measured at each measuring point in the air supply pipeline under different working conditions. The wind speed distribution was detected on the setting surfaces. The experimental results show that: (1) The air does not gradually tend to steady state with the time, and under different conditions, the air temperature obviously differs. (2) The clothing selection, air supply conditions, and locations of measuring points have significant influences on human body temperature distribution and left–right difference. (3) The mixing of the thermal plume caused by the vertical temperature difference of the human body and the jet generated by the mechanical air supply will reduce the wind speed of the airflow in the cabin, the adsorption of the jet to the bulkhead, and the stability of the airflow. The experimental data can provide the initial and boundary conditions for the simulation of the shelter. The results can provide a reference for the study of fluid control methods, the setting of thermal boundary conditions, and the simulation of the influence of thermal plumes on the airflow distribution. The experimental study in this paper has filled in the blanks regarding experimental study in electronic radar shelters. It has important research value and practical significance.

A Rule of Thumb for Evaluating Surface Areas of Chronic Wounds

BACKGROUND

Rapid estimation of the area of chronic wounds is clinically important. A simple method using the thumb was investigated for universal physical measurement, particularly of small and multiple wounds; the thumb surface area (TSA) was then compared with the total body surface area (TBSA).

METHODS

A cross-sectional observational study and random sampling were used to obtain the characteristics of 343 participants. Data related to handprint surface area of the thumb and palm were collected using a scanner and laptop and assessed using image software. The TSA as a percentage of TBSA was confirmed based on the traditional rule that regards palmar surface area as 1% of TBSA. Information on factors potentially influencing measurement was gathered with questionnaires to analyze correlations.

RESULTS

The left and right TSAs were on average 4.27% and 4.28%, respectively, of the palmar surface area for all participants. Multiple linear regression analysis found that male and older participants had higher TSA:TBSA proportions (sex, P = .0020; age, P < .0001). The TSA:TBSA proportion increased by age for both males (by age group, 0.0418%, 0.0426%, 0.0432%, and 0.0460%, respectively) and females (0.0400%, 0.0409%, 0.0427%, and 0.0430%, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

Thumb size is relatively stable in relation to TBSA, lending itself to a universal method for estimating the size of chronic wounds as a percentage of TBSA. It therefore represents a convenient physical measurement for assessing the area of burns and other wounds.

Dermal penetration of ethylene glycol through human skin in vitro

This study was conducted to determine the in vitro dermal absorption of ethylene glycol (EG) through dermatomed human abdominal skin (containing epidermis and dermis), obtained from cadavers within 24 hours of death and kept frozen until processed. Three formulations of EG (neat, 50%, and 10% aqueous solutions) were applied in triplicate to skin samples from 6 donors, and placed in Teflon Bronaugh flow-through diffusion cells. Barrier integrity of each sample was evaluated with (3)H-H(2)O prior to applying EG and only data from samples passing the test were used. A physiological receptor fluid was pumped beneath the skin samples and collected in a fraction collector at predetermined time points through 24 hours. Possible volatilized EG was trapped in a charcoal basket located above each skin sample. Each skin sample was treated with an infinite dose of 500 microL of EG formulation/cm(2). At the end of 24 hours, volatilized EG trapped in the headspace was collected, the unabsorbed dose was removed from the skin and the skin was rinsed, tape stripped, and solubilized along with a rinse of the flow-through cells, and total radioactivity was determined. Only a small fraction (</=1%) of the applied EG was absorbed in 24 hours, of which <0.7% penetrated through the skin and ~0.4% remained in the skin. Recovery (mass balance) of the applied EG was between 93% and 99%, which further validated the observed low dermal penetration of EG. The net penetration of the applied EG over 24 hours was concentration proportional, comprising 2.97 +/- 0.78, 1.75 +/- 0.62, and 0.23 +/- 0.12 mg/cm(2) of the neat, 50%, and 10% formulations, respectively. The steady-state flux of EG was established between 16 and 24 hours. The mean steady-state flux of EG through dermatomed skin was 217, 129, and 15 microg/cm(2)h for the neat, 50%, and 10% aqueous formulations, respectively, consistent with concentration-proportional penetration of EG. The steady-state permeation coefficient (Kp) for EG was low, between 1.5 x 10(-4) and 2.6 x 10(-4) cm/h. These findings demonstrate that EG dermal penetration is expected to be very low and to be slow, indicating very limited systemic or internal dose of EG due to dermal exposure.