OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical application of high-frequency color Doppler ultrasound (HFCDU) in detecting perforators in the deep adipose layers for harvesting super-thin anterolateral thigh flap (ALTF). METHODS: Between August 2019 and January 2023, 45 patients (46 sides) with skin and soft tissue defects in the foot and ankle were treated, including 29 males and 16 females, aged from 22 to 62 years, with an average of 46.7 years. The body mass index ranged from 19.6 to 36.2 kg/m ², with an average of 23.62 kg/m ². The causes of injury included traffic accident injury in 15 cases, heavy object crush injury in 20 cases, mechanical injury in 8 cases, heat crush injury in 1 case, and chronic infection in 1 case. There were 20 cases on the left side, 24 cases on the right side, and 1 case on both sides. After thorough debridement, the wound size ranged from 5 cm×4 cm to 17 cm×11 cm. All patients underwent free super-thin ALTF transplantation repair. HFCDU was used to detect the location of the perforators piercing the deep and superficial fascia, as well as the direction and branches of the perforators within the deep adipose layers before operation. According to the preoperative HFCDU findings, the dimensions of the super-thin ALTF ranged from 6 cm×4 cm to 18 cm×12 cm. The donor sites of the flaps were directly sutured. RESULTS: A total of 55 perforators were detected by HFCDU before operation, but 1 was not found during operation. During operation, a total of 56 perforators were found, and 2 perforators were not detected by HFCDU. The positive predictive value of HFCDU for identifying perforator vessels was 98.2%, and the sensitivity was 96.4%. Among the 54 perforators accurately located by HFCDU, the orientation of the perforators in the deep adipose layers was confirmed during operation. There were 21 perforators (38.9%) traveled laterally and inferiorly, 12 (22.2%) traveled medially and inferiorly, 14 (25.9%) traveled laterally and superiorly, 5 (9.3%) traveled medially and superiorly, and 2 (3.7%) ran almost vertically to the body surface. Among the 54 perforators accurately located by HFCDU, 35 were identified as type 1 perforators and 12 as type 2 perforators (HFCDU misidentified 7 type 2 perforators as type 1 perforators). The sensitivity of HFCDU in identifying type 1 perforators was 100%, with a positive predictive value of 83.3%. For type 2 perforators, the sensitivity was 63.2%, and the positive predictive value was 100%. The surgeries were successfully completed. The super-thin ALTF had a thickness ranging from 2 to 6 mm, with an average of 3.56 mm. All super-thin ALTF survived, however, 1 flap experienced a venous crisis at 1 day after operation, but it survived after emergency exploration and re-anastomosis of the veins; 1 flap developed venous crisis at 3 days after operation but survived after bleeding with several small incisions; 3 flaps had necrosis at the distal edge of the epidermis, which healed after undergoing dressing changes. All 45 patients were followed up 6-18 months (mean, 13.6 months). Three flaps required secondary defatting procedures, while the rest had the appropriate thickness, and the overall appearance was satisfactory. CONCLUSION Preoperative application of HFCDU to detect the perforator in the deep adipose layers can improve the success and safety of the procedure by facilitating the harvest of super-thin ALTF.
Male ; Female ; Humans ; Thigh/surgery* ; Plastic Surgery Procedures ; Prospective Studies ; Skin Transplantation ; Free Tissue Flaps ; Burns ; Soft Tissue Injuries/surgery* ; Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color ; Crush Injuries/surgery* ; Perforator Flap ; Treatment Outcome

On July 4, 2021, a Philippine C-130 military plane carrying 104 personnel crashed in Patikul, Sulu after attempting to land at Jolo Airport, killing 53 individuals and injuring 50 others, both on board and on the ground. Some of the injured sustained multiple injuries, including fractures and burns. This incident triggered a swift response from various agencies. Mass casualty incidents, including those with multiple burn-injured patients, pose significant challenges to health care systems and can lead to high morbidity and mortality rates.1 2 3 Burn injuries, which account for at least 200,000 deaths annually, are a major global public health issue, particularly in low-resource settings, and can easily overwhelm the limited burn resources available.4 5 6 Efficient management of mass casualty incidents, proper triage decisions, and sound health care planning are crucial for optimizing patient outcomes and matching potential needs with available resources.7 Burn mass casualty incidents (BMCI) are incidents that involve at least three burn victims. These incidents, whether due to natural or human-caused accidents, can occur anywhere and anytime. The injuries are unpredictable and involve a large number of victims, requiring a significant consumption of logistics and medical attention. Medical response tasks in massive burn injuries are much more challenging than those required in separate burn incidents due to the unexpected nature of the events and the simultaneous involvement of a large number of patients. Such situations require the immediate mobilization of a significant number of personnel, resources, and facilities to address upcoming issues. In this article, we describe the management of BMCIs based on our experiences in responding to the Patikul incident. We elucidate the strategies that are put into action and offer insights aimed at improving protocols for handling BMCIs in the future. Our goal is to contribute to the body of knowledge in this field and aid in the development of more effective responses to such critical situations.
Mass Casualty Incidents ; Burns

A burn mass casualty incident (BMCI), an incident that involves at least three burn victims with severe injuries,1 presents several unique challenges. In a mass casualty event, between 25 and 30 percent of those injured can sustain moderate-to-severe burn injuries.2 Management of burn patients necessitates a significant amount of health resources and logistical support, along with prompt and high-quality care to optimize the functional and cosmetic outcomes of severely injured patients. While some developed countries have sound disaster management plans, many countries where most BMCIs occur lack such well-established plans.3 The effective management of BMCIs is crucial for positive patient outcomes. Given resource scarcity, especially in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas, comprehensive mitigation and preparedness strategies are essential. These strategies must address worst-case scenarios that may challenge the existing internal protocols, especially at the local level.4 The surge in health care facility capacity during BMCIs can quickly overwhelm local and regional resources, from prehospital care to specialized burn centers. In the Philippines, disaster response levels and adequacy may vary widely among different regions and local government units (LGU). While the Department of Health has issued guidelines for health emergency and disaster response management,5 there are currently no policies or guides on specifically addressing preincident planning for BMCIs. The aim of this article is to recommend policies that will potentially improve the current health care approach to BMCIs.
Mass Casualty Incidents ; Burns

Objective: To explore the family rehabilitation model for children with scar contracture after hand burns and observe its efficacy. Methods: A retrospective non-randomized controlled study was conducted. From March 2020 to March 2021, 30 children with scar contracture after deep partial-thickness to full-thickness burns of hands, who met the inclusion criteria, were hospitalized in the Burn Center of PLA of the First Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Medical University. According to the rehabilitation model adopted, 18 children (23 affected hands) were included in a group mainly treated by family rehabilitation (hereinafter referred to as family rehabilitation group), and 12 children (15 affected hands) were included in another group mainly treated by hospital rehabilitation (hereinafter referred to as hospital rehabilitation group). In the former group, there were 11 males and 7 females, aged (4.8±2.1) years, who began rehabilitation treatment (3.1±0.8) d after wound healing; in the latter group, there were 7 males and 5 females, aged (4.6±2.1) years, who began rehabilitation treatment (2.8±0.7) d after wound healing. The children in hospital rehabilitation group mainly received active and passive rehabilitation training in the hospital, supplemented by independent rehabilitation training after returning home; after 1-2 weeks of active and passive rehabilitation training in the hospital, the children in family rehabilitation group received active and passive rehabilitation training at home under the guidance of rehabilitation therapists through WeChat platform. Both groups of children were treated for 6 months. During the treatment, they wore pressure gloves and used hand flexion training belts and finger splitting braces. Before treatment and after 6 months of treatment, the modified Vancouver scar scale, the total active movement of the hand method, and Carroll quantitative test of upper extremity function were used to score/rate the scar of the affected hand (with the difference of scar score between before treatment and after treatment being calculated), the joint range of motion (with excellent and good ratio being calculated), and the function of the affected limb, respectively. Data were statistically analyzed with independent sample t test, equivalence test, Fisher's exact probability test, and Mann-Whitney U test. Results: The differences of scar scores of the affected hands of children in family rehabilitation group and hospital rehabilitation group between after 6 months of treatment and those before treatment were 3.0 (2.0, 7.0) and 3.0 (2.0, 8.0) respectively (with 95% confidence interval of 2.37-5.38 and 1.95-5.91). The 95% confidence interval of the difference between the differences of the two groups was -2.43-2.21, which was within the equivalent boundary value of -3-3 (P<0.05). The excellent and good ratios of joint range of motion of the affected hand of children in family rehabilitation group and hospital rehabilitation group were 3/23 and 2/15 respectively before treatment, and 15/23 and 12/15 respectively after 6 months of treatment. The ratings of joint range of motion of the affected hand of children in family rehabilitation group and hospital rehabilitation group after 6 months of treatment were significantly higher than those before treatment (with Z values of 3.58 and 2.30, respectively, P<0.05), but the ratings of joint range of motion of the affected hand between the two groups were similar before treatment and after 6 months of treatment (with Z values of 0.39 and 0.55, respectively, P>0.05). The functional ratings of the affected limbs of children in family rehabilitation group and hospital rehabilitation group after 6 months of treatment were significantly higher than those before treatment (with Z values of 3.98 and 3.51, respectively, P<0.05), but the functional ratings of the affected limbs between the two groups were similar before treatment and after 6 months of treatment (with Z values of 1.27 and 0.38, respectively, P>0.05). Conclusions: The WeChat platform assisted rehabilitation treatment with mainly family rehabilitation, combined with hand flexion and extension brace can effectively reduce the scarring after children's hand burns, improve the joint range of motion of the affected hands, and promote the recovery of affected limb function. The effect is similar to that of hospital-based rehabilitation providing an optional rehabilitation, treatment method for children who cannot continue to receive treatment in hospital.
Male ; Female ; Humans ; Child ; Cicatrix/therapy* ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome ; Wound Healing ; Hand Injuries/rehabilitation* ; Wrist Injuries ; Contracture/etiology* ; Burns/complications*

Objective: To investigate the scientificity and feasibility of the ten-fold rehydration formula for emergency resuscitation of pediatric patients after extensive burns. Methods: A retrospective observational study was conducted. The total burn area of 30%-100% total body surface area (TBSA) and body weight of 6-50 kg in 433 pediatric patients (250 males and 183 females, aged 3 months to 14 years) with extensive burns who met the inclusion criteria and admitted to the burn departments of 72 Class A tertiary hospitals were collected. The 6 319 pairs of simulated data were constructed after pairing each body weight of 6-50 kg (programmed in steps of 0.5 kg) and each total burn area of 30%-100% TBSA (programmed in steps of 1%TBSA). They were put into three accepted pediatric rehydration formulae, namely the commonly used domestic pediatric rehydration formula for burn patients (hereinafter referred to as the domestic rehydration formula), the Galveston formula, and the Cincinnati formula, and the two rehydration formulae for pediatric emergency, namely the simplified resuscitation formula for emergency care of patients with extensive burns proposed by the World Health Organization's Technical Working Group on Burns (TWGB, hereinafter referred to as the TWGB formula) and the pediatric ten-fold rehydration formula proposed by the author of this article--rehydration rate (mL/h)=body weight (kg) × 10 (mL·kg^-1·h^-1) to calculate the rehydration rate within 8 h post injury (hereinafter referred to as the rehydration rate). The range of the results of the 3 accepted pediatric rehydration formulae ±20% were regarded as the reasonable rehydration rate, and the accuracy rates of rehydration rate calculated using the two pediatric emergency rehydration formulae were compared. Using the maximum burn areas (55% and 85% TBSA) corresponding to the reasonable rehydration rate calculated by the pediatric ten-fold rehydration formula at the body weight of 6 and 50 kg respectively, the total burn area of 30% to 100% TBSA was divided into 3 segments and the accuracy rates of the rehydration rate calculated using the 2 pediatric emergency rehydration formulae in each segment were compared. When neither of the rehydration rates calculated by the 2 pediatric emergency rehydration formulae was reasonable, the differences between the two rehydration rates were compared. The distribution of 433 pediatric patients in the 3 previous total burn area segments was counted and the accuracy rates of the rehydration rate calculated using the 2 pediatric emergency rehydration formulae were calculated and compared. Data were statistically analyzed with McNemar test. Results: Substitution of 6 319 pairs of simulated data showed that the accuracy rates of the rehydration rates calculated by the pediatric ten-fold rehydration formula was 73.92% (4 671/6 319), which was significantly higher than 4.02% (254/6 319) of the TWGB formula (χ²=6 490.88,P<0.05). When the total burn area was 30%-55% and 56%-85% TBSA, the accuracy rates of the rehydration rates calculated by the pediatric ten-fold rehydration formula were 100% (2 314/2 314) and 88.28% (2 357/2 670), respectively, which were significantly higher than 10.98% (254/2 314) and 0 (0/2 670) of the TWGB formula (with χ² values of 3 712.49 and 4 227.97, respectively, P<0.05); when the total burn area was 86%-100% TBSA, the accuracy rates of the rehydration rates calculated by the pediatric ten-fold rehydration formula and the TWGB formula were 0 (0/1 335). When the rehydration rates calculated by the 2 pediatric emergency rehydration formulae were unreasonable, the rehydration rates calculated by the pediatric ten-fold rehydration formula were all higher than those of the TWGB formula. There were 93.07% (403/433), 5.77% (25/433), and 1.15% (5/433) patients in the 433 pediatric patients had total burn area of 30%-55%, 56%-85%, and 86%-100% TBSA, respectively, and the accuracy rate of the rehydration rate calculated using the pediatric ten-fold rehydration formula was 97.69% (423/433), which was significantly higher than 0 (0/433) of the TWGB formula (χ²=826.90, P<0.05). Conclusions: The application of the pediatric ten-fold rehydration formula to estimate the rehydration rate of pediatric patients after extensive burns is more accurate and convenient, superior to the TWGB formula, suitable for application by front-line healthcare workers that are not specialized in burns in pre-admission rescue of pediatric patients with extensive burns, and is worthy of promotion.
Male ; Female ; Humans ; Child ; Burns/therapy* ; Hospitalization ; Resuscitation ; Fluid Therapy/methods* ; Body Surface Area ; Retrospective Studies

On May 13, 2020, a 56-year-old man with extensive burns caused by flames and heavy metal-containing hydrothermal fluids was admitted to the General Hospital of Western Theater Command. After being admitted to the hospital, most of the burn wounds healed after treatments such as debridement, expansion, skin grafting, anti-shock, anti-infection, fluid replacement, and wound dressing change, etc. However, in the middle and late stages of treatment, the patient's burn wounds gradually showed repeated skin ulceration and inflammation. After excluding the cause of physical, bacterial infection and others, IgG4-related skin diseases was finally diagnosed by histopathological examination of tissue biopsy and concentration measurement of IgG4 in interstitial fluid, and the condition was improved after hormone treatment. This suggests that extensive burns may lead to the occurrence of autoimmune skin diseases. For the diagnosis of such diseases, it is necessary to combine clinical manifestations, serological examinations, and histopathological biopsy, etc. to avoid diagnostic pitfalls and draw correct conclusions.
Male ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Wound Healing ; Treatment Outcome ; Burns/surgery* ; Skin Transplantation ; Skin Ulcer ; Metals, Heavy

Moderate and deep sedation can effectively relieve or eliminate the pain and body discomfort during wound dressing change in pediatric burn patients, relieve anxiety, agitation, and even delirium of the children, reduce the metabolic rate of the children, make them in a quiet, comfortable, and cooperative state, which is conducive to the smooth completion of dressing change. This paper summarized the three aspects of moderate and deep sedation in pediatric burn patients, including the overview, main points of implementation, and effects, and further introduced the moderate and deep sedation medication regimens for different routes of administration, as well as the content of evaluation and monitoring. Suggestions on the prevention and management of related complications and the management of moderate and deep sedation implementation procedures were put forward, in order to provide references for the development of moderate and deep sedation for wound dressing change in pediatric burn patients in China.
Child ; Humans ; Bandages/adverse effects* ; Burns/therapy* ; Deep Sedation ; Pain/complications* ; Pain Management/methods*

Objective: To investigate the effects of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUCMSCs) combined with autologous Meek microskin transplantation on patients with extensive burns. Methods: The prospective self-controlled study was conducted. From May 2019 to June 2022, 16 patients with extensive burns admitted to the 990^th Hospital of PLA Joint Logistics Support Force met the inclusion criteria, while 3 patients were excluded according to the exclusion criteria, and 13 patients were finally selected, including 10 males and 3 females, aged 24-61 (42±13) years. A total of 20 trial areas (40 wounds, with area of 10 cm×10 cm in each wound) were selected. Two adjacent wounds in each trial area were divided into hUCMSC+gel group applied with hyaluronic acid gel containing hUCMSCs and gel only group applied with hyaluronic acid gel only according to the random number table, with 20 wounds in each group. Afterwards the wounds in two groups were transplanted with autologous Meek microskin grafts with an extension ratio of 1∶6. In 2, 3, and 4 weeks post operation, the wound healing was observed, the wound healing rate was calculated, and the wound healing time was recorded. The specimen of wound secretion was collected for microorganism culture if there was purulent secretion on the wound post operation. In 3, 6, and 12 months post operation, the scar hyperplasia in wound was assessed using the Vancouver scar scale (VSS). In 3 months post operation, the wound tissue was collected for hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining to observe the morphological changes and for immunohistochemical staining to observe the positive expressions of Ki67 and vimentin and to count the number of positive cells. Data were statistically analyzed with paired samples t test and Bonferronni correction. Results: In 2, 3, and 4 weeks post operation, the wound healing rates in hUCMSC+gel group were (80±11)%, (84±12)%, and (92±9)%, respectively, which were significantly higher than (67±18)%, (74±21)%, and (84±16)% in gel only group (with t values of 4.01, 3.52, and 3.66, respectively, P<0.05). The wound healing time in hUCMSC+gel group was (31±11) d, which was significantly shorter than (36±13) d in gel only group (t=-3.68, P<0.05). The microbiological culture of the postoperative wound secretion specimens from the adjacent wounds in 2 groups was identical, with negative results in 4 trial areas and positive results in 16 trial areas. In 3, 6, and 12 months post operation, the VSS scores of wounds in gel only group were 7.8±1.9, 6.7±2.1, and 5.4±1.6, which were significantly higher than 6.8±1.8, 5.6±1.6, and 4.0±1.4 in hUCMSC+gel group, respectively (with t values of -4.79, -4.37, and -5.47, respectively, P<0.05). In 3 months post operation, HE staining showed an increase in epidermal layer thickness and epidermal crest in wound in hUCMSC+gel group compared with those in gel only group, and immunohistochemical staining showed a significant increase in the number of Ki67 positive cells in wound in hUCMSC+gel group compared with those in gel only group (t=4.39, P<0.05), with no statistically significant difference in the number of vimentin positive cells in wound between the 2 groups (P>0.05). Conclusions: The application of hyaluronic acid gel containing hUCMSCs to the wound is simple to perform and is therefore a preferable route. Topical application of hUCMSCs can promote healing of the autologous Meek microskin grafted area in patients with extensive burns, shorten wound healing time, and alleviate scar hyperplasia. The above effects may be related to the increased epidermal thickness and epidermal crest, and active cell proliferation.
Female ; Humans ; Male ; Burns/surgery* ; Cicatrix ; Eosine Yellowish-(YS) ; Hyaluronic Acid/therapeutic use* ; Hyperplasia ; Ki-67 Antigen ; Prospective Studies ; Umbilical Cord ; Vimentin ; Young Adult ; Adult ; Middle Aged

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of xenogeneic acellular dermal matrix (ADM) dressings for the treatment of wounds in burn patients. Methods: The meta-analysis method was adopted. Databases including Chinese Journal Full-text Database, Wanfang Database, VIP Database, and Chinese Biomedical Database were retrieved with the search terms in Chinese version of ", , , " and PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library were retrieved with the search terms in English version of "xenogeneic acellular dermal matrix, dressing, burn wound, burn" to obtain the publicly published randomized controlled trials on the efficacy of xenogeneic ADM dressings for the treatment of wounds in burn patients from the establishment of each database to December 2021. The outcome indexes included wound healing time, ratio of scar hyperplasia, Vancouver scar scale (VSS) score, ratio of complications, ratio of skin grafting, and ratio of bacteria detection. Rev Man 5.3 and Stata 14.0 statistical softwares were used to conduct a meta-analysis of eligible studies. Results: A total of 1 596 burn patients from 16 studies were included, including 835 patients in experimental group who received xenogeneic ADM dressings therapy and 761 patients in control group who received other methods therapy. The bias risk of all the 16 included studies was uncertain. Compared with those in control group, patients in experimental group had significantly shorter wound healing time, lower VSS scores (with standardized mean differences of -2.50 and -3.10, 95% confidence intervals of -3.02--1.98 and -4.87--1.34, respectively, P values both <0.05), and lower ratios of scar hyperplasia, complications, skin grafting, and bacteria detection (with relative risks of 0.58, 0.23, 0.32, and 0.27, 95% confidence intervals of 0.43-0.80, 0.14-0.37, 0.15-0.67, and 0.11-0.69, respectively, P<0.05). Subgroup analysis showed that the difference of intervention measures in control group might be the source of heterogeneity in wound healing time. There was no publication bias in ratio of scar hyperplasia (P≥0.05), while there was publication bias in wound healing time, VSS score, and ratio of complications (P<0.05). Conclusions: Xenogeneic ADM dressings can shorten the wound healing time of burn patients, reduce the VSS score and the ratios of scar hyperplasia, complications, skin grafting, and bacteria detection.
Humans ; Cicatrix ; Acellular Dermis ; Hyperplasia ; Burns/therapy* ; Bandages

OBJECTIVE: To assess the safety and efficacy of"leverage pry-off method"for preventing thermal injury during microwave ablation of benign thyroid nodules. METHODS: From July, 2017 to September, 2019, a total of 348 patients with benign thyroid nodules underwent ultrasound-guided microwave ablation. For protecting from thermal injury during the ablation, "hydrodissection technique" was used in 174 of the patients (admitted from July, 2017 to August, 2018) and "leverage pry-off method" in the other 174 patients (admitted from September, 2018 to September, 2019). All the patients were followed up for 1 to 12 months after the operation for observation of severe complications and nodular residues. RESULTS: Ultrasound-guided microwave ablation was completed in all the 348 patients. The most common severe complication associated with the ablation was voice change, occurring in 3 cases (1.7%) in "hydrodissection technique" group and in 4 (2.3%) in the "leverage pry-off method" group, showing no significant difference between the two groups (P>0.05). During the follow-up, no significant difference was found in the rate of nodular residues between the "hydrodissection technique" group and "hydrodissection technique" group (9.8% vs 10.9% (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS The "leverage pry-off method" is simple and effective for preventing thermal injury during microwave ablation of benign thyroid nodules.
Humans ; Microwaves/therapeutic use* ; Thyroid Nodule/surgery* ; Burns ; Hospitalization ; Radiofrequency Ablation