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Mortality in paediatric burns at the Women's and Children's Hospital (WCH), Adelaide, South Australia: 1960-2017.
- Source :
-
Burns : journal of the International Society for Burn Injuries [Burns] 2020 Feb; Vol. 46 (1), pp. 207-212. Date of Electronic Publication: 2019 Nov 29. - Publication Year :
- 2020
-
Abstract
- Background: Burn injuries are the third leading cause of preventable death in children worldwide, resulting in over 100 000 annual hospitalisations. In the paediatric population, scalds are the commonest mechanism and burn injuries of greater than 40% total burn surface area (TBSA) are associated with a high mortality and morbidity rate.<br />Aims: The aim of this study was to review mortality in paediatric burns in a tertiary burns centre over a 60-year period, providing an understanding of local causes of mortality and directing future clinical research.<br />Methods: We reviewed data collected prospectively from patients treated for burn injuries at the WCH from 1960 to 2017. Data of age, gender, mechanism of injury and TBSA were collected. TBSA of 40% and greater were included in the study.<br />Results: All patients with total burn surface area (TBSA) less than 40% survived. There were a total of 75 patients who sustained burns of or greater than 40% TBSA. Overall mortality was 34% (26 of 75) of which 24 occurred in the 1960s. Of the 21 patients who died of flame burn injuries, 12 of them were described as clothes catching alight from being in close proximity to the source of flame. Average length of stay for patients who did not survive was 7 days (1-26).<br />Conclusion: Mortality has since declined and the prognosis for survival good, even in TBSA of greater than 90%. The investigations in fabric flammability led by Dr Thomas Pressley and Mr Murray Clarke prompted the rewriting of Australian standards for production of children's clothing. This, in combination with advances in paediatric resuscitation, surgical techniques as well as wound care has improved survival rates and outcomes in extensive burn injuries. Future studies focus to see not only better survival rates, but also better aesthetic and functional outcomes in burn survivors.<br /> (Crown Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)
- Subjects :
- Body Surface Area
Burns epidemiology
Burns therapy
Child
Child, Preschool
Female
Fires
Humans
Infant
Infant, Newborn
Length of Stay statistics & numerical data
Male
Mortality trends
Pediatrics trends
Skin, Artificial trends
South Australia epidemiology
Textiles
Bandages trends
Burns mortality
Clothing
Consumer Product Safety
Critical Care trends
Skin Transplantation trends
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1879-1409
- Volume :
- 46
- Issue :
- 1
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Burns : journal of the International Society for Burn Injuries
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 31787476
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.burns.2019.06.004