Contemporary Aspects of Burn Care

Effect of a transitional tele-rehabilitation programme on quality of life of adult burn survivors: A randomised controlled trial

OBJECTIVE

To examine the effects of the transitional tele-rehabilitation programme on quality of life of adult burn survivors.

DESIGN

A prospective, single centre, randomised controlled trial and reported according to the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) guidelines.

PARTICIPANTS

Adult burn survivors aged ≥18 years with burn size ≥10% total body surface area irrespective of the depth was considered eligible to participate.

INTERVENTION

The intervention was in two phases: pre-discharge and active follow-up phase (which occurred via WeChat). In both phases, comprehensive assessment and intervention guided by the Omaha System and evidenced-based protocols guided the care delivery over an 8-week period.

MAIN MEASURES

The outcome of interest was quality of life. Two outcome measures were used to assess the outcome of interest: Burn Specific Health Scale-Brief (BSHS-B) and the EQ-5D-5L tools. The outcome was assessed at three time points: T0 (baseline), T1 (immediate post-intervention) and T2 (4 weeks from T1).

RESULTS

In total, 60 adult burn survivors were randomly allocated to undergo the new programme. The transitional tele-rehabilitation programme elicited statistically significant improvement in simple abilities, affect, interpersonal relationship (T2) and overall quality life (T1 and T2) measured on the BSHS-B.

CONCLUSION

Ongoing rehabilitative care is essential to support the recovery process of burn survivors considering that some quality-of-life subscales may improve faster than others. The study findings highlight the potential of employing a social media platform to improve post-burn quality of life outcomes.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.govNCT04517721. Registered on 20 August 2020.

The effect of social appearance anxiety and body perception on the quality of life in burn patients

This study was conducted with a descriptive and cross-sectional design to demonstrate the effect of social appearance anxiety and body perception on quality of life in burn patients. The study was conducted in the intensive care units and burn clinic of Elazığ Fırat University Hospital between 17 February 2022 and 30 April 2022. Data were collected from 94 burn patients using the Personal Information Form, Social Appearance Anxiety Scale, Body-Cathexis Scale and Quality of Life Scale-Short Form. Most participants were 30 years old and under, male, married, had no children and had an education level of high school or below. Most had social security and an income equal to their expenses. They were not uncomfortable with coming to the hospital, and 1-3 months had passed since the burn incident. They did not spend time outside, and most had no part of their bodies that they did not like, while 26.1% did not like their feet. A negative relationship was detected between the Social Appearance Anxiety Scale and Body-Cathexis Scale, and a positive relationship between the total and sub-dimensions of the Quality of Life Scale (p > 0.05). There was a negative relationship between the Body-Cathexis Scale and the Quality of Life Scale total and sub-dimensions (p < 0.05), and a positive relationship between the total and sub-dimensions of the Quality of Life Scale (p < 0.05).

Effectiveness of Early Physiotherapy Rehabilitation Approach for Split Skin Grafting Post-burn in a Pediatric Patient

Childhood is critical for developing social, physical, and cognitive functioning. Burns in children are very different from burns in adults because it is difficult for them to save themselves. Their skin is more sensitive and less heat-resistant; their exposure may last longer, worsening the burn. When neglected, severe disabling and deforming contractures caused by burns in children can result in substantial impairment. Therefore, burn rehabilitation should not be carried out by one person but rather by a multidisciplinary team to ensure that all of the patients' physical, psychological, and social requirements are met while the child is in the hospital and after discharge. The treatment of young burn victims requires a multidisciplinary approach that begins the day of the accident and lasts for several years. To reduce the consequences of the patient's post-traumatic stress and increase functional independence, a thorough rehabilitation programme is needed. The burn team members' dedication, commitment to the patient's care, and encouragement of patient participation and full engagement in rehabilitation can make a difference to juvenile burn patients' long-term quality of life (QOL). We present a seven-year-old female who suffered from a superficial burn over the lateral aspect of her right thigh. Exercise prescriptions should be thoroughly customized to provide the best possible success in rehabilitation, considering the degree of burns and physical limitations. This case report is intended to serve as a practical manual for the necessary clinical knowledge and therapy intervention approaches for managing burn patients successfully.

Immune reactivity features in post-burn dynamics

Relevance. To date, burn injury remains a complex type of damage to skin tissues. Along with local destructive and dystrophic phenomena, systemic changes in the body are observed. The aim of the study was the experimental study of the immune reactivity of the body of nonlinear rats under conditions of “burn” stress formed as a result of contact thermal trauma. Materials and Methods. The study was carried out on non-linear male rats with an average mass of 220 gr. The functional activity of the immune system of laboratory animals was evaluated on the basis of standard tests assessing the adaptability of the immune system. Results and Discussion. In an experimental study, it was found that in the dynamics of burn injury in laboratory animals, variable changes in the body’s immune reactivity were observed at the level of the cellular and humoral links of immunity, which was manifested by a decrease in the WGST index and an increase in the following indicators - antibody titer, phagocytic index (FI), phagocytic number (FF), leukocytic coefficient and number of leukocytes. The increased content of stick-n uclear forms indicated the activation of granulocytopoiesis, which determined the deregenerative nuclear shift of neutrophil granulocytes to the left. Along with these changes, a decrease in the mass of immune organs (thymus and spleen) was observed, which can be explained by the expression of accidental involution caused by intoxication against the background of a thermal burn. Conclusion. Under conditions of “burn” stress, an immune imbalance occurs in the form of activation of some and suppression of other links at different observation times. Thus, during the burn process, systemic immune changes taking place at the body level have a multi-d irectional dynamic character, which indicates the adaptive capabilities of the immune system.