Alkalies/therapeutic use* ; Burns, Chemical/drug therapy* ; Corneal Injuries/drug therapy* ; Eye Burns/drug therapy* ; Humans ; Taurine

Most of the major advances in burn treatment were made within the last five decades. However, hypermetabolic response after severe burn remains a problem in the treatment of patients with massive burn. As skeletal muscle accounts for over 50% of body cell dry weight, its catabolism exerts profound effect on body metabolism as a whole. Main mechanisms underlying skeletal muscle wasting induced by severe burn include activation of ubiquitin-proteasome pathway, bringing about breakdown of muscle protein, and myonuclear apoptosis. Therapeutic strategies for skeletal muscle wasting after burn mainly include maintenance of room temperature at (31.5 +/- 0.7) degrees C, early active and passive exercise of skeletal muscles, administration of beta adrenergic receptor blocker such as Propranolol, recombinant growth hormone, androgen, and insulin, which has lately been proven to possess the effect of suppressing myonuclear apoptosis after burn. Combination of multiple therapeutic strategies is beneficial in reducing complications of burn patients, particularly wide ranged skeletal muscle atrophy, to achieve a better clinical outcome.
Apoptosis ; Burns ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; pathology ; Humans ; Muscle, Skeletal ; metabolism

Animals ; Burns ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Glutamine ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Wound Healing ; drug effects

Children are high-risk groups of burns, with unique physiological, psychological, and anatomical states, and the management of anxiety and pain for burn children are extremely challenging. Non-pharmacological interventions are very important for pain management in burn children, but are often inadequate for treating pain and anxiety, so pharmacological sedation and analgesia are necessary. This article reviewed the clinical treatment and research progress in this field in the past 10 years at home and abroad, including the pain assessment of burn children, monitoring in sedative and analgesic treatment, main therapeutic drugs and research progress, and some controversies in clinical practice. Besides, some suggestions have been put forward for clinical reference.
Analgesia ; Burns/therapy* ; Child ; Humans ; Pain/drug therapy* ; Pain Management ; Pharmaceutical Preparations

The main factors influencing the bacterial ecology on burn wound are the selection of antibacterial agents and systemic antibiotic. Some antibacterial agents more active against P. aeruginosa were developed in 1960s, and the detection rate of P. aeruginosa on burn wound has been declined, and the detection rate of Enterobacteriaceae species and Acinetobacter SPP. has been raised since then. In 1990s, the third generation Cephalosporin was widely used in burn unit and the detection rate of staphylococcus aureus showed an increased trend. Especially, the positive rate of MRSA was increased significantly. Under the selection pressure of antibacterial agent, the resistant strains are rapidly increased and the antibiotics against opportunistic pathogen on burn wound should be selected continuously. Finally, the bacterial ecology pattern on burn wound is changing incessantly. The result is that the prevalence of infection of multi-drug resistance strains and opportunistic pathogen appears on burn wound. In order to optimize the antibiotic therapy, the bacterial ecology pattern on burn wound has to be investigated, and the dominant pathogen including invasive and currently prevailing strains in the burn unit also should always be surveyed. In addition, we also should know the mechanisms of bacterial resistance. The regular surveillance of antibiotic resistance in the clinical isolates is the most important and valuable for understanding the trend of bacterial resistance. The antibiotic therapy should be decided according to the result of susceptibility tests.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; therapeutic use ; Bacterial Infections ; drug therapy ; Burns ; drug therapy ; microbiology ; Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial ; Humans

In recent fifty years, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus were continuously the predominant in burn infections, the only change seen was a rapid increase in their drug-resistance. Under the pressure of antibiotics, Some opportunistic bacteria that were resistant to all available antibiotics emerged, such as Acinetobacter baumanii and Maltophilia stenotrophomonas. For critically burn patients, basing on early surgical intervention, early and short-term use of broad-spectrum antibiotic is advisable, and it may control the infection promptly, prevent further inflammatory reaction, as well as minimize the emergence of antibacterial resistance. To control infections due to pandrug-resistant bacteria, cyclic use of some old antibiotics may be helpful. In dealing with severe infection, a combination of anti-pathogen and anti-inflammatory reaction measures should be considered.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; therapeutic use ; Burns ; drug therapy ; microbiology ; Cross Infection ; drug therapy ; prevention & control ; Humans ; Sepsis ; prevention & control

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of early oral fluid resuscitation on hemodynamic and tissue perfusion in dogs with severe burn shock.

METHODSEighteen male Beagle dogs with intubation of carotid artery, jugular vein, stomach, jejunum and bladder for 24 h were subjected to a 50%TBSA full-thickness burn, then were equally divided into non fluid resuscitation (NR), oral resuscitation (OR) and intravenous resuscitation(IR) groups, (each n = 6). Dogs in IR and OR groups were given glucose-electrolyte solution (GES) by gastric tube or intravenous infusion according to Parkland formula within 24 h after burn, while those in NR group were not given any treatment. Dogs in each group were given intravenous fluid resuscitation from 24 h after burn. The mean arterial pressure (MAP), cardiac output (CO), systemic vascular resistance (SVR), dp/dt max of left ventricular contractility (dp/dt(max)), gastric carbon dioxide pressure (PgCO2), intestinal mucosal blood flow (IMBF), and urinary output were determined before burn (0 h) and 2, 4, 8, 24, 48 and 72 h after burn at no anaesthesia state. Mortality rate of 72 h after burn was also recorded.

RESULTSMAP, CO, dp/dt(max), IMBF greatly decreased, and SVR and PgCO2 obviously increased from 2 h after burn in each group (P < 0.01). The measurements except IMBF of IR group returned to pre-injury levels at 72 h after burn, while CO, SVR, PgCO2 and IMBF of OR group still worse compared with 0 h (P < 0.01). All measurements of NR group kept on worsen, and died with anuria within 24 h after burn. Parameters of hemodynamic and tissue perfusion of OR group were significantly superior to those of NR group, but it inferior to those of IR group. At 72 h after burn, 6 (6/6) survived in IR group, 3 (3/6) in OR group and 0 (0/6) in NR group.

CONCLUSIONSAlthough oral resuscitation with GES is not as efficient as intravenous resuscitation in a 50%TBSA burn injury, it still can promote hemodynamic, improve the tissue perfusion and reduce the mortality comparing to no resuscitation. Oral resuscitation might be an ideal alternative way of intravenous resuscitation, especially in wars or other site of mass casualties.

Animals ; Body Surface Area ; Burns ; Disease Models, Animal ; Dogs ; Fluid Therapy ; Hemodynamics ; drug effects ; Resuscitation

Fungal infection is one of the serious complications of severely burned patients with high mortality. Application of antifungal agents timely and rationally is very important to control the infection. Antifungal agents including polyenes,triazoles, and echinocandins have been used widely in burned patients and are proved to be effective. Since diagnosis of fungal infection remains difficult, prophylactic and empirical therapies appear to be particularly necessary. In order to improve the efficacy and safety of antifungal agents, the factors of fungal strains, infection sites, hepatic and renal functions, and age, etc. should be considered in selecting antifungal agents.
Antifungal Agents ; therapeutic use ; Burns ; complications ; Humans ; Mycoses ; complications ; drug therapy

The serious and persistent hypercatabolic state caused by severe burn injury leads to weight loss, weakening of muscles, immunity decline, and delayed wound healing in injured patients. Pediatric burn patients also suffer growth retardation. How to ameliorate the persistent hypercatabolic response is what the medical professionals should concern. Recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) can attenuate the hypercatabolic response and alleviate the growth retardation. This article reviews the researches on the use of rhGH in the treatment of burn injury in children.
Burns ; drug therapy ; Child ; Human Growth Hormone ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Recombinant Proteins ; therapeutic use

OBJECTIVETo address the features of the fungal infection after burn injury in clinic.

METHODSThree thousand nine hundred and nine burn patients admitted to our institute from Jan. 2003 to Dec. 2006 were involved in this study. Two thousand two hundred and seventy-one samples were harvested for fungal detection by culture from 467 patients suspected to be infected by fungi based on their clinic manifestations. The collected samples included wound tissue, blood, urine, stool, sputum, catheters and others. The antibiotic sensitivity of the identified fungi were determined by routine method. When same kind of fungus was found from different samples taken from one patient, it was recorded as one positive sample. The samples were ranked in an ascending order as wound secretion, stool, urine, sputum and bronchial alveolar lavage fluid, arteriovenous catheter or urinary catheter, blood. Only the positive sample of the highest rank source was recorded as the positive strain of fungus from this particular patient.

RESULTSIt was found 61 fungal positive samples from the 2271 samples collected. Out of 467 patients, 38 strains of fungi were detected from 36 burn patients during the investigated period, the incidence was 0.92% (36/3909). The most three commonest types among the identified 38 strains of fungi were Candida tropicalis (42.1%), Candida albicans (31.6%) and Candida famata (T. Famata, 10.5%). The drug sensitivity tests demonstrated that most of the strains detected in this investigation, with the exception of candida glabrata, were sensitive to most of the routine antimycotics agents such as Amphotericin B, Fluconazole, and Itraconazole etc. Among the 36 fungus positive patients, in 18 patients the burn area exceeded 80% TBSA, 12 patients with 50%-79% TBSA, 4 patients with 30%-49% TBSA, and in 2 patients the burn area was smaller than 30% TBSA. It was found most of the fungal infections (77.78%) occurred 2 weeks after burn injury, and 8 of the 36 fungus-infected patients died (the mortality was 22.22%). Conclusions Further examinations are necessary to confirm the diagnosis in burn patients suspected to have fungal infection. Once fungal infections are confirmed, antimycotic therapy must be started immediately.

Burns ; microbiology ; Candida ; isolation & purification ; Humans ; Incidence ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Mycoses ; drug therapy ; pathology