Hot soup! Correlating the severity of liquid scald burns to fluid and biomedical properties

The Burn Wound

Skin serves as a protective barrier against infection, prevents excessive fluid and electrolyte losses, performs crucial thermoregulation, and provides tactile feedback of surroundings. The skin also plays an essential role in human perception of body image, personal appearance, and self-confidence. With these many diverse functions, understanding normal anatomic composition of skin is pivotal to evaluating the extent of its disruption from burn injury. This article discusses the pathophysiology, initial evaluation, subsequent progression, and healing of burn wounds. By delineating the various microcellular and macrocellular alterations of burn injury, this review also augments providers' capacity to deliver patient-centered, evidence-based burn care.

Robust Superamphiphobic Fabrics with Excellent Hot Liquid Repellency and Hot Water Vapor Resistance

Superamphiphobic surfaces progress rapidly but suffer from the issues of low repellency to hot liquids, complicated and nonaqueous preparation methods, and low durability. Here, a simple waterborne approach is developed to fabricate robust superamphiphobic fabrics with excellent hot liquid repellency and hot water vapor resistance. First, a perfluorodecyl polysiloxane (FD-POS) aqueous suspension was prepared by hydrolytic cocondensation of (3-glycidyloxy propyl)trimethoxysilane and 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorodecyltriethoxysilane with SiO₂ particles. Then, the superamphiphobic fabrics were fabricated by dipping polyester fabrics in the suspension, which were then cured. The fabrics show excellent superamphiphobicity owing to the combination of the hierarchical micro-/nanostructure and FD-POS with very low surface energy. The superamphiphobic fabrics feature excellent hot liquid repellency even for a large volume of 130.0 °C soybean oil and condensed small droplets from ∼90.0 °C water vapor. This is attributed to its high superamphiphobicity, excellent hot water vapor resistance, and outstanding thermal durability. In addition, the superamphiphobic fabrics exhibit high mechanical and chemical durability against washing, abrasion, and immersion in corrosive or organic liquids. Thus, hot liquid repellent superamphiphobic fabrics may find applications in various fields such as antiadhesion of various hot liquids and in efficiently preventing scalding.

A content analysis of scald first aid information on Chinese websites

OBJECTIVE

With the rapid development of networks in China, the Internet has become an important source of first aid information for scalds. As a country with the largest population, there are a large number of scald cases every year in China. The content analysis of websites aimed to assess the accuracy and quality of the information on scalds available on Chinese websites.

METHODS

Using keywords related to scald in the most popular Chinese search engines, 19 sites were eventually selected for evaluation based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. These websites were assessed on quality and content accuracy by using HONcode, DISCERN, and Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool (PEMAT) evaluation scales, and a modified evaluation system based on the system developed by J.D. Burgess. The evaluation was completed by a 5-person evaluation team. The subjective items were reviewed by five independent reviewers. The objective items were recorded by one reviewer, then another checked the results.

RESULTS

Using "scald first aid," "scald treatment," and "scald blister" to search on Baidu, Sougou, and Haosou, a total of 180 websites were recorded. According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 19 websites were obtained for assessment. Among them, 17 websites (89%) were established by commercial companies. Of the remaining two websites, one was created by a government agency and the other was created by a non-profit organization. The mean total HONcode score, DISCERN score, PEMAT (understandability) score, PEMAT (actionability) score, content accuracy score, and website quality score were 5.19 ± 1.09 out of 8; 52.63 ± 3.69 out of 80; 68%; 56%; 5.05 ± 1.47 out of 8; and 6.11 out of 12, respectively. The scores of the government agency website are better than that of commercial websites.

CONCLUSION

The websites established by government agencies and non-profit organizations are few, and most of the websites are established by commercial companies. Compared with the government agency website, these commercial websites contain many advertisements, and their website quality and accuracy need to be further improved.

Modeling the Distribution of Scald Type Burns in a Child

Splash or spill scald burns may be seen by medical examiners in the setting of intentional trauma or accidental injury. In order to model various scald burn scenarios, an 8-year-old subject dressed in white had colored water spilled or dropped onto her. The results were recorded by video and still photography. Five trials were performed and included: liquid in a cup thrown towards the anterior body surfaces; liquid in a cup thrown towards the posterior body surfaces; a cup of liquid spilled across a table into the lap of a seated subject; a saucepan pulled down onto the anterior torso; and a cup of liquid spilled onto the top of the head. In each of the spill and splash models described above, a large often confluent zone of staining at the site of initial liquid contact with the body was often accompanied by elongate runoff patterns following gravity; droplet staining was often noted on adjacent areas. When seated, an inverted U-shaped staining pattern was on the buttocks. Anticipation of the splash event in one trial resulted in the subject instinctively turning the anterior body away from the oncoming liquid. When presented with a scalded victim, modeling of the reported history may provide a pattern of staining that supports or refutes the explanation offered for the burn. A mobile and neurologically intact subject who can anticipate an incipient scald injury may move prior to and during contact with the liquid resulting in unique staining patterns on multiple surfaces of the body.