Epidemiology of outpatient burns in Tehran: an analysis of 4813 cases

A Retrospective Multicenter Study of 1898 Liquefied Petroleum Gas-Related Burn Patients in Eastern China From 2011 to 2015

Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is a widely used environment-friendly fuel. Previous studies have shown an increasing number of LPG-related burns. Our study was designed to evaluate the epidemiologic pattern of these injuries and provide recommendations for burn prevention. This retrospective study included all patients with LPG-related burns from eight burn centers in Zhejiang Province, China between 2011 and 2015. Database variables included patient demographics, accident characteristics, and injury characteristics. The association between different categorical variables was identified using the chi-square test. And the association between two or more means of quantitative variables was analyzed by the one-way analysis of variance or t-test. A total of 1898 patients were included, 47.31% were males and 52.69% were females. The predominant age group was 31 to 70 years (74.50%), and the majority were poorly educated and the incidence peaked from June to September. The most common place of occurrence was home (74.08%) and gas leak (96.52%) was the most common cause. The four limbs (43.33%) were the most frequently affected areas; the mean burn area was 25.19 ± 20.97% of the total body surface area and most patients (46.89%) suffered from moderate burns. The mean length of hospital stay was 17.66 ± 16.55 days and the majority of patients (89.36%) recovered with a 0.84% mortality rate. Our findings reflected that the increase in incidence rate was alarming, and the causes resulting in LPG-related burns have not gained much attention yet. Therefore, this calls for simple but strict measures aiming at each hazardous step during the use of LPG to prevent these burn injuries.

An analysis of children's clothing-related injuries cases reported by the media in mainland of China from 2003 to 2017

BACKGROUND

Numerous reports in the media have suggested that children could be hurt due to their clothing, yet there are few medical reports that discussed children's clothing-related injuries. This study therefore, aimed to describe the epidemiological characteristics of media-reported injury cases related to children's clothing in Mainland of China.

METHODS

This study systematically collected a total of 192 cases of children's clothing-related injuries reported in the news reports and medical literatures published by the Chinese media before December 2017. A content analysis of these cases was conducted to obtain information on the characteristics of these injuries.

RESULTS

Cases of clothing-related injuries were most common in children aged 3 to 6 years (54.7%); the ratio of the number of boys to the number of girls in the 192 cases was 1.5: 1. In addition, approximately 51% of the cases occurred in the region of East China. The most common location of the incidents was in the home (35%). Furthermore, the zippers are the most common cause of injuries (15.1%), and the most common injured body part was the genital organs (29.2%). Besides, there were 24 cases reported death related to clothing injuries (13%). Moreover, the locations where the injuries occurred, the reasons for the occurrence of the injuries and the injured body parts differed significantly by gender and age (P < .05).

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that future unintentional injuries could be prevented by implementing 2 major initiatives: improving the promotion of the safety of children clothing design in China and educating consumers on the potential risk associated with children's clothing.

The effects of Arnebia euchroma ointment on second-degree burn wounds: a randomized clinical trial

ETHNOBOTANICAL RELEVANCE

Burn injuries can cause detrimental long-term consequences and call for immediate management. Avicenna's Canon of Medicine, describing the use of Abu-Khalsa (Arnebia euchroma) (AE) as being effective for burn healing. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the healing effects of AE ointment (AEO) on patients with a second-degree burn wound and compare its results with silver sulfadiazine cream (SSD).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this prospective, single-blind clinical trial, 45 patients with similar types of second-degree burns at two different sites of the body were randomly assigned to the two treatment groups. One burn wound site of the patient was treated with SSD and another similar burn wound site with AEO once a day until complete healing was achieved. Wound size and percentage of wound healing were evaluated at 15 days. Satisfaction, clinical adverse events such as pain, burning, warming, erythema, edema, infection, inflammation, and general wound area were assessed on a visual analogue scales, and 6-point scales.

RESULTS

The healing time was significantly shorter in the site treated with AEO than SSD (13.9±5.3 vs. 17.5±6.9 days, respectively). The severity of pain and burning were reduced in the AEO site compared with SSD site at the time of dressing change, while the warming score was significantly higher in the AEO wound area. Side-effects were lower in the site treated with AEO.

CONCLUSION

In this clinical study, we demonstrated that AEO has benefits over SSD in the treatment of second-degree burn wounds and wound healing and is a viable medication for the management of second-degree burns.

Development a minimum data set of the information management system for burns

BACKGROUND

Burns are the most common and destructive injuries in across of the world and especially in developing countries. Nevertheless, a standard tool for collecting the data of burn injury has not been developed yet. The purpose of this study was to develop a minimum data set (MDS) of the information management system for burns in Iran.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This descriptive and cross-sectional study was performed in 2014. Data were collected from hospitals affiliated with Hormozgan and Iran University of Medical Sciences and medical documents centers, emergency centers and legal medicine centers located in Bandar Abbas city, in addition to internet access and library. Investigated documents were burn injury records in 2013, and documents that retrieved from the internet, and printed materials. Records were selected randomly based on T20-T29 categories from ICD-10. Data were collected using a checklist. In order to make a consensus about the data elements the decision Delphi technique was applied using a questionnaire. The content validity and reliability of questionnaire were assessed by expert's opinions and test-retest method, respectively.

RESULTS

An MDS of burns was developed. This MDS divided into two categories: administrative and clinical with six and 17 section and 161 and 311 data elements respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

This study showed that comprehensive and uniform data elements about burns do not exist in Iran. Therefore a MDS was developed for burns in Iran. Development of an MDS will result in standardization and effective management of the data through providing uniform and comprehensive data elements for burns. Thus, comparability of the extracted information from different analyses and researches will be possible in various levels. In addition, establishment of policies and prevention and control of burns will be possible, which results in the improvement of the quality of care and containment of costs.

A prospective observational study investigating all children presenting to a specialty paediatric burns centre

AIM AND METHOD

The aim of this study was to describe the mechanism of injury and outcome of all children who presented to The Stuart Pegg Paediatric Burns Centre (SPPBC) with a burn injury in the year 2013. A detailed proforma was completed prospectively at time of presentation to hospital.

RESULTS

During the one year period, 758 children with a median age of 2 years 3 months presented with a burn injury. Overall, 12.7% of patients (n=96) were initially treated as inpatients. Similarities existed between in and outpatients. Over half the children admitted had a scald injury (53.1%). Whilst slightly higher than the outpatient scald rate of 43.1% there was no statistical significant difference. However, there was a significant difference between inpatients and outpatients with respect to other mechanisms of injury. Contact burns were under represented in inpatients (27.1%) compared to outpatients (44.5%), p<0.05. In contrast, flame burns were over represented in inpatients, 11.5% compared to outpatients, 2.9% (p<0.05).

CONCLUSION

Paediatric burns are a common cause of childhood injury. The majority of children present with small to medium sized partial thickness injuries and are managed as outpatients. In order to understand the true impact of paediatric burn injury and to develop appropriate targeted injury prevention campaigns, data repositories must include detailed information regarding outpatient paediatric burns.

Epidemiology of burn injuries at a newly established burn care center in rasht

Background

Advances in the care of burn injuries have resulted from the efforts of regional patient-based specialist teams at burn care centers.

Objectives

We conducted this study to assess the four-year epidemiology of burn injuries in Rasht, Iran.

Materials and Methods

In this cross-sectional study, medical records of 2274 burn patients, treated at Velayat hospital from January 2007 to December 2010 in Rasht, Iran, were assessed. Age, sex, level of education, occupation, severity and degree of burn, burn surface area, burn cause and outcome of patients were evaluated.

Results

In our study the overall mortality rate was 8.7%; 65.7% of patients were men and 34.3% were women. Mean age of patients was 31.47 ± 22.67 years. Mean Total Burn Surface Area (TBSA) was 15.24 ± 18.4. Lowest TBSA was 0.5% and highest TBSA was 100%. Significant associations were observed between age (P = 0.0001), place of residence (P = 0.004), level of education (P = 0.0001), unemployment (P = 0.0001), marital status (P = 0.021), causes of burn (P = 0.0001), TBSA (P = 0.0001) and mortality rate. In our study, no significant difference was observed between age and sex (P = 0.071).

Conclusions

Due to high prevalence of burn injuries in Iran, increasing the level of awareness of the society as well as adhering to safety procedures both at home and workplace is recommended via implementing effective national safety policies.

The pattern of injury and poisoning in South East Iran

BACKGROUND

Injury is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, and even more so in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). Iran is a LMIC and lacks information regarding injury for program and policy purposes. This study aimed to describe the incidence and patterns of injury in one province in South Eastern Iran.

METHODS

A hospital-based, retrospective case review using a routinely collected registry in all Emergency Departments in Sistan and Baluchistan province, Iran for 12 months in 2007-2008.

RESULTS

In total 18,155 injuries were recorded during the study period. The majority of injuries in South Eastern Iran were due to road traffic crashes. Individuals living in urban areas sustained more injuries compared to individuals from rural areas. Males typically experienced more injuries than females. Males were most likely to be injured in a street/alley or village whereas females were most likely to be injured in or around the home. In urban areas, road traffic related injuries were observed to affect older age groups more than younger age groups. Poisoning was most common in the youngest age group, 0 to 4 years.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides data on incidence and patterns of injury in South Eastern Iran. Knowledge of injury burden, such as this paper, is likely to help policy makers and planners with health service planning and injury prevention.

Pediatric burns in Khuzestan Province, Iran

BACKGROUND

Burn injuries are the most frequently occurring injuries among pediatric populations worldwide, and they are significant pediatric injuries in Iran.

AIM

This study was conducted to analyze the pattern of pediatric burns in Khuzestan province in the south-west of Iran from April 2006 to March 2007.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The location of the study was Taleghani Hospital, a sole center for burn patients in Khuzestan province. The number of patients with burns admitted to the center in 1 year (from April 2006 to March 2007) was 211. Data were obtained by reviewing the medical records of patients hospitalized at the center.

RESULTS

Of the patients, 85 (40.3%) were female and 126 (59.7%) were male. Of the 85 female patients, 50 were from urban areas and 35 were from rural areas. Of the 126 male patients, 68 (54%) were from urban areas and 58 (46%) were from rural areas. The mean ± SE age of the children ranging between 0 and 11 years was 3.20 ± 0.188. Scalding was the predominant cause of burns and caused 86.7% of the burns. The age of the patients with scald injuries (2.95 ± 2.56 years) was significantly lower than that of patients with flame injuries (4.28 ± 3.3 years) (P=0.007). Correlation analysis showed that younger children and urban residents are more vulnerable to scald injuries. The mean body surface area of burns was 20.5 ± 10.26 cm in all patients.

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Scalding was the most common cause of burns. Age <4 years and residency in urban areas were the major factors increasing the risk of burn accidents in children in Khuzestan. An appropriate burn prevention program, with focus on education, is needed to prevent this injury.

The year in burns 2010

For 2010, roughly 1446 original burn research articles were published in scientific journals using the English language. This article reviews those with the most impact on burn treatment according to the Editor of one of the major journals (Burns) and his colleagues. As in previous reviews, articles were divided into the following topic areas: epidemiology, demographics of injury, wound characterisation and treatment, critical care, inhalation injury, infection, metabolism and nutrition, psychological considerations, pain and itching management, rehabilitation and long-term outcomes, and burn reconstruction. Each paper is considered very briefly, and the reader is referred to full manuscripts for details.

Epidemiology of burns in Iran during the last decade (2000-2010): review of literature and methodological considerations

The approach to burn prevention, to be effective in a particular area, should be based on sound knowledge of etiological patterns of burns injuries and must take into account the geographical variations and socioeconomic differences in burn epidemiology. Although many articles are published on burns epidemiology in Iran, a holistic view of burn epidemiology in Iran is not well presented in literature. In this study, a wide literature review was made on articles published regarding burns injuries in Iran. Pubmed, Embase, Scopus, and Iranian scientific information (SID) databases were searched for information on epidemiology of burns in Iran during the years 2000-2010. During the investigation we found that few Farsi journals were not indexed in SID during the earlier years of the decade, so to increase the chance of capturing necessary information these were checked by hand. As the second source, available data from the Iranian National Home Injury Registry Database (INHIRD) during two Iranian calendar years in the period 2001-2003 were used to extract necessary information. The results of this review helped in defining the magnitude of the burns problem, exploring the role of gender and age in burns, defining the agents causing burns, burn extent, burn mortality and place of injury occurrence. Some areas with paucity of information as well as methodological pitfalls in published research were identified and discussed.

Audit of protocols for treatment of paediatric burns in emergency departments in the Île de France

INTRODUCTION

The main purpose of this study was to establish the existence and accuracy of protocols for treatment of children with burns in emergency departments (EDs) across the Île de France. In addition, we also analysed the incidence of paediatric burns.

METHODS

A postal questionnaire was sent to 91 EDs in the Île de France. Data collected were: number of children with burns in 2005, the absence or presence of specific written protocols. The ED was asked to send a copy of the protocol for analysis.

RESULTS

Forty-six EDs (50.5%) replied to the questionnaire. These EDs treated a total of 3258 children with burns, corresponding to 0.63% of paediatric pathologies in EDs. Amongst responding EDs, 48% had specific written protocols for the management of children with burns (but only in the larger EDs: >10000 patient visits/year). A written protocol for managing pain in children was present in 65% of cases. For analgesia, 80% used oxygen/nitrous oxide. Concerning second-step analgesics, six EDs 67% used a combination of paracetamol/codeine and only 22% used non-steroidal antiflammatory drug. Regarding third-step analgesics, 67% used nalbuphine while only 43% used morphine.

CONCLUSION

3,200 children were registered with burns in half of the region's EDs during 2005 (0.63% of paediatric consultations). The larger the ED the higher was the availability of specific written protocols. International recommendations appeared to be respected concerning dressings, management of pain being marked by an under-utilisation of morphine.