OBJECTIVETo explore the epidemiological characteristics of inhalation injury and to summarize the clinical application experience of diagnostic standard of burn of larynx.

METHODSMedical records of 443 patients with inhalation injury admitted to our burn unit from January 1999 to June 2013 were analyzed, including gender, age, severity of inhalation injury, complications and diseases before injury; total area and that of full-thickness burn injury, admission time after burn, and burn condition of larynx of patients with different degrees of inhalation injury; treatment and outcome including rate, time, and complication of tracheotomy, mortality, and cause of death. Data were processed with nonparametric Kruskal-Wallis test and chi-square test. The relationship between severity of inhalation injury and total burn area, degree of burn of larynx, tracheotomy rate, and mortality was assessed by Spearman correlation analysis.

RESULTS(1) Among the patients, there were 353 (79.7% ) male and 90 (20.3% ) female, with the ratio of male to female 4:1. There were 64 (14.4%) patients younger than or equal to 20 years, 203 (45.8%) patients older than 20 years and younger than or equal to 40 years, 144 (32.5%) patients older than 40 years and younger than or equal to 60 years, and 32 (7.2%) patients older than 60 years. The numbers of patients with mild, moderate, and severe inhalation injury were respectively 297, 108, and 38. Seven patients suffered from complications, and 21 patients had diseases before injury. There were statistically significant differences among the patients with different degree of inhalation injury in regard to total burn area and full-thickness burn area (with H values respectively 73.752 and 142.830, P values below 0.01), while no statistically significant difference was observed in admission time after burn ( H = 1.528, P > 0.05). Correlation analysis showed that severity of inhalation injury was positively correlated with total burn area (r = 0.399, P < 0.001). Among the patients with mild inhalation injury, incidences of patients with mild, moderate, and severe burn of larynx were respectively 68.0% (202/297), 32.0% (95/297), and 0, and those among the patients with moderate inhalation injury were respectively 0,53.7% (58/108), and 46.3% (50/108). There were statistically significant differences in degree of burn of larynx of patients with different degree of inhalation injury (χ2 = 336.703, P < 0.001). Correlation analysis showed that severity of burn of larynx was positively correlated with severity of inhalation injury (r = 0.700, P < 0.001). (2) The rate of tracheotomy was 37.02% (164/443). The rates of tracheotomy in patients with mild, moderate, and severe inhalation injury were respectively 10.44% (31/297), 87.96% (95/108), and 100.00% (38/38), χ2 = 271.654, P < 0.001. Correlation analysis showed that the rate of tracheotomy was positively correlated with severity of inhalation injury (r = 0.784, P < 0.001). Tracheotomy was done mainly within 6 h post burn (63.4%, 104/164). The incidence rate of complication of tracheotomy was 5.5% (9/164). (3) Thirty-one patients died, with a mortality rate of 7.00%. The mortality rates of patients with mild, moderate, and severe inhalation injury were respectively 1.01% (3/297), 12.96% (14/108), and 36.84% (14/38), H = 74.273, P < 0.001. It was found that the mortality was positively correlated with severity of inhalation injury (r = 0.371, P < 0.001). The causes of death of the patients were respectively sepsis (14, 45.2%), respiratory failure (7, 22.6%), airway obstruction (2, 6.5%), airway hemorrhage (2, 6.5%), cerebral hemorrhage (2, 6.5%), cardiac accident (2, 6.5%), and diabetes insipidus (1, 3.2%), and 1 (3.2%) patient quit treatment and discharged from hospital for economic reason.

CONCLUSIONSAmong the patients with inhalation injury, male is dominated in number, and the young adults formed the highest constituent ratio. The severity of inhalation injury was correlated with total burn area, severity of burn of larynx, tracheotomy rate, and mortality. With the guidance of diagnostic criteria of burn of larynx and indication of tracheotomy, the risk of laryngeal obstruction can be eliminated. The early preventive tracheotomy can decrease the difficulty and risk of the operation.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Age Distribution ; Aged ; Airway Obstruction ; etiology ; surgery ; Burn Units ; Burns ; Burns, Inhalation ; complications ; mortality ; surgery ; China ; epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Injury Severity Score ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Postoperative Complications ; epidemiology ; Sepsis ; epidemiology ; Severity of Illness Index ; Sex Distribution ; Tracheotomy ; methods ; Young Adult

Objective:To compare the efficacy of bilayer artificial dermis graft plus single layer dermal template and bilayer artificial dermis graft only in repairing lower extremity wounds with large area of exposed bone.Methods:A retrospective case-control study was conducted to analyze the clinical data of 34 patients with 37 wounds of the lower extremity involving large area of exposed bone admitted to Beijing Jishuitan Hospital from November 2009 to November 2020. There were 27 males and 7 females, aged 9-67 years [35.5(29, 45)years]. The exposed bone in the lower leg, ankle and foot was greater than 10 cm 2 in size (the shortest distance from edge to edge of bony exposure was more than 2 cm). At the first stage, the wounds were grafted with bilayer type artificial dermis only for 21 wounds of 20 patients in Group A, and grafted with bilayer type artificial dermis plus single layer dermal template for 16 wounds of 14 patients in Group B. At the second stage, the auto-skin graft was performed in the two groups. The wound healing rate was observed in all patients, and was compared between the two groups at 2 weeks and 2 months after the second stage operation. At the same time, the interval between first stage and second stage surgery was measured. The Vancouver Scar Scale (VSS) was used to evaluate the scar in the skin grafting area in the two groups at 5-6 months after the second stage operation. Results:All patients were followed up for 1 to 24 months [5(2, 7.5)months]. The total excellent and good wound healing rate in all patients was 81%(30/37) at 2 weeks and 97%(36/37) at 2 months. There was no significant difference between the Group A and Group B in the excellent and good wound healing rate at 2 weeks [(76%(16/21) vs. 88%(14/16)] and at 2 months [95%(20/21) vs. 100%(16/16)] ( P>0.05). In Group A, the bilayer artificial dermis was grafted into 4 wounds again to complete exposed bone coverage. However, all wounds in Group B were covered initially without re-grafting. The interval between the two-stage operation was 20(16, 21)days in Group A after the 4 patients who underwent secondary artificial dermal transplantation were excluded, showing no significant difference from 21(21, 23)days in Group B ( P>0.05). At 5-6 months after the second stage operation, the VSS score in Group B [(8.0±1.2)points] was significant less than that in Group A [(9.2±1.1)days] ( P<0.05). In the sub-index of VSS, the score of color and softness of scar in Group B [(2.0±0.6)points, (1.6±0.5)points] were significantly improved compared to those in Group A [(2.5±0.5)points, (2.2±0.7)points] ( P<0.05). Conclusions:The artificial dermis grafting is effective in treatment of lower extremity wounds with large area of exposed bone. However, the bilayer artificial dermis graft plus single layer dermal template can avoid artificial dermal re-graft in repair of large area of exposed bone, and the interval between two-stage operation is not significantly prolonged. Moerover, the color and texture of scar after skin grafting and wound repair efficiency and quality are improved.

Objective: To investigate the effects of flap or myocutaneous flap combined with fascia lata or composite mesh on repairing wounds in abdomen of patients with severe high-voltage electrical burn. Methods: From January 2010 to May 2017, 11 patients with severe high-voltage electrical burn in abdomen were hospitalized in our burn wards. In 3 hours to 7 days after burn, operation was performed when patients were in stable condition. After debridement, intestines with necrosis or perforation in 4 patients with peritoneal defects were resected and intestinal anastomosis was performed. The size of abdominal wounds after debridement ranged from 13 cm×9 cm to 41 cm×32 cm. Five patients were treated with rectus abdominis myocutaneous flap and size of which ranged from 14 cm×10 cm to 30 cm×17 cm. Among the above 5 patients, 4 patients with peritoneal defects used composite mesh of 25 cm×20 cm to enhance abdominal wall. Three patients were treated with tensor fascia lata myocutaneous flap, and size of the flap ranged from 24 cm×10 cm to 27 cm×13 cm. Three patients were treated with anterolateral thigh flap with fascia lata, and one of them was treated with the lobulated flap; size of the flap ranged from 18 cm×13 cm to 25 cm×15 cm. The later 6 patients used fascia lata of flap to enhance abdominal wall. The donor sites were sutured directly or repaired with intermediate split-thickness skin graft of thigh. Results: After operation, flaps or myocutaneous flaps of patients were survived, and strength of abdominal wall recovered. During follow-up of 6 month to 1 year, flaps or myocutaneous flaps were in good appearance, with no ankylenteron or abdominal wall hernia. Conclusions Flap or myocutaneous flap combined with fascia lata or composite mesh can achieve good effects on repairing severe high-voltage electrical burn wounds in abdomen.

Acinetobacter Infections ; drug therapy ; Acinetobacter baumannii ; drug effects ; pathogenicity ; Adult ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Burns ; drug therapy ; microbiology ; Cefoperazone ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Minocycline ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Retrospective Studies ; Sulbactam ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Thienamycins ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Young Adult