Are acute burn injuries associated with long-term mortality? A systematic review and meta-analysis

Current Approaches to Wound Repair in Burns: How far Have we Come From Cover to Close? A Narrative Review

Burn injuries are a significant global health concern, with more than 11 million people requiring medical intervention each year and approximately 180,000 deaths annually. Despite progress in health and social care, burn injuries continue to result in socioeconomic burdens for victims and their families. The management of severe burn injuries involves preventing and treating burn shock and promoting skin repair through a two-step procedure of covering and closing the wound. Currently, split-thickness/full-thickness skin autografts are the gold standard for permanent skin substitution. However, deep burns treated with split-thickness skin autografts may contract, leading to functional and appearance issues. Conversely, defects treated with full-thickness skin autografts often result in more satisfactory function and appearance. The development of tissue-engineered dermal templates has further expanded the scope of wound repair, providing scar reductive and regenerative properties that have extended their use to reconstructive surgical interventions. Although their interactions with the wound microenvironment are not fully understood, these templates have shown potential in local infection control. This narrative review discusses the current state of wound repair in burn injuries, focusing on the progress made from wound cover to wound closure and local infection control. Advancements in technology and therapies hold promise for improving the outcomes for burn injury patients. Understanding the underlying mechanisms of wound repair and tissue regeneration may provide new insights for developing more effective treatments in the future.

Global epidemiology of geriatric burns, capacities of care, and injury outcomes: Perspectives from the World Health Organization global burn registry

BACKGROUND

An increasing aging population alongside a potentially increasing injury risk emphasizes a critical need for evidence-based burn care regarding preventive and therapeutic strategies tailored to the unique needs of older adults. However, we note a critical gap in understanding geriatric burn trends on a global scale and the care capacity across settings. Thus, this study sought to ascertain the global trend of geriatric burns with a focus on patient demographics, injury characteristics, capacities of care, and injury outcomes.

METHODS

A retrospective design focusing on older adults aged ≥ 60 years with burns recorded in the World Health Organization Global Burn Registry as of 31st May 2023 was employed. Descriptive statistics were employed to analyze the data.

RESULTS

Of the 9277 records obtained from the Global Burn Registry, 849 participants (9.2%) were aged ≥ 60 years with the majority of these reported from the Eastern Mediterranean (EMRO) and Southeast Asia (SEARO) regions. More females than males were involved in burn injuries with the most common aetiological factor being flame. Most burns occurred in the home/ domestic setting with a seasonal variation (more injuries occurred in December and January). In terms of burn care capacity, the data suggest the availability of specialized services in most settings albeit the AFRO and SEARO regions still lacked the resources to offer specialized burn care. While most injured older adults were discharged home with no physical impairment (395, 46.5%), a substantial number died (250, 29.4%) during hospitalization, particularly in the African (AFRO) region and 111 (11.1%) left the facility against medical advice with the majority from the SEARO region (88).

CONCLUSION

Burn injuries in older adults remain a public health issue. On the preventive aspect, the results demonstrate a need to intensify safety in the home or domestic setting, and during festive seasons. Therapeutically, the findings underscore a need to consider the inclusion of more specialist geriatric and palliative care services in the burn management process. Additionally, we identified a need to strengthen burn care capacity in the AFRO and SEARO regions.

Impact of childhood burns on academic performance: a matched population-based cohort study

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to compare academic performance and high school completion of young people hospitalised for a burn compared with young people not hospitalised for an injury.

DESIGN

A retrospective population-based matched case-comparison cohort study.

PARTICIPANTS

Young people aged ≤18 years hospitalised for a burn during 2005-2018 in New South Wales, Australia, with age, sex and residential postcode-matched peers not hospitalised for any injury during 1 July 2001 and 31 December 2018.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Performance below the national minimum standard (NMS) on the National Assessment Plan for Literacy and Numeracy assessments and not completing high school.

RESULTS

Young females hospitalised for a burn had a 72% higher risk of poorer reading compared with their peers (adjusted relative risk (ARR) 1.72; 95% CI 1.33 to 2.23), while young males hospitalised with a burn showed no higher risk (ARR 1.14; 95% CI 0.91 to 1.43). Young males (ARR 1.05; 95% CI 0.81 to 1.35) and females (ARR 1.34; 95% CI 0.93 to 1.94) hospitalised with a burn had no higher risk of not reaching the NMS for numeracy compared with peers. Young people hospitalised with a burn had at least twice the risk of not completing year 10 (ARR 3.86; 95% CI 1.68 to 8.86), year 11 (ARR 2.45; 95% CI 1.89 to 3.18) and year 12 (ARR 2.09; 95% CI 1.63 to 2.67) compared with matched counterparts.

CONCLUSIONS

Young females hospitalised with a burn displayed poorer academic performance for reading compared with matched peers, while males and females were more likely to leave school earlier. Identifying unmet learning support needs of young burn survivors should be investigated.