INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to determine the degree of ROM limitations of extremities, joints and planes of motion after burns and its prevalence over time.METHOD: The database of a longitudinal multicenter cohort study in the Netherlands (2011-2012) was used. From patients with acute burns involving the neck, shoulder, elbow, wrist, hip, knee and ankle joints that had surgery, ROM of 17 planes of motion was assessed by goniometry at 3, 6 weeks, 3-6-9 and 12 months after burns and at discharge.RESULTS: At 12 months after injury, 12 out of 17 planes of motion demonstrated persistent joint limitations. The five unlimited planes of motion were all of the lower extremity. The most severely limited joints at 12 months were the neck, ankle, wrist and shoulder. The lower extremity was more severely limited in the early phase of recovery whereas at 12 months the upper extremity was more severely limited.CONCLUSION: The degree of ROM limitations and prevalence varied over time between extremities, joints and planes of motion. This study showed which joints and planes of motion should be watched specifically concerning the development of scar contracture.
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Knowledge about trends and epidemiology of pediatric burns is useful to identify patterns, to advance medical research, and to design prevention programs and resource allocation. The aim of this study is to describe the epidemiology and trends of pediatric burns between 2009 and 2022 in the three Dutch burn centers. A secondary objective of this study is to evaluate the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the pattern of pediatric burns. A register-based cohort study was conducted based on data from the Dutch Burn Repository R3. Patients between 0 and 17 years at the time of the burn injury admitted between 2009 and 2022 to one of the three burn centers were included. Descriptive statistics were used to investigate the incidence and patient, burn, and treatment characteristics. The COVID-19 pandemic years (2020–2021) were compared with the pooled results from pre-COVID-19 years (2017–2019). A total of 4017 patients were included in this study, of which 3085 (77%) were overnight admissions. The incidence and absolute number of pediatric burn admissions gradually increased over the years, with a small temporary decrease in 2020–2021. Patient and burn characteristics remained relatively consistent over the years. Three quarters of all patients were between 0 and 3 years old, and the majority were boys (59%). A decreasing ratio of length of stay per % total burned surface area and an increase in day admissions was observed since 2016 onwards, which intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusions: There was a slight increase in the number of pediatric admissions to the burn centers between 2009 and 2022. Young children (0–3 years) remain the most frequently affected group. A shorter relative length of stay was observed, as well as an increase in day admissions, which was reinforced by the COVID-19 pandemic. (Table presented.)
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OBJECTIVE: Perceived fatigue significantly impacts quality of life after burns, yet how often it occurs is unknown. Therefor this study assessed the prevalence of perceived fatigue of burn survivors.METHODS: In February 2023, a systematic literature search was performed in CINAHL, Embase, PsycInfo, PubMed and Web of Science. Studies reporting the prevalence of post-burn perceived fatigue were included.RESULTS: In ten cross-sectional studies of moderate-high quality with measurements between 5.3 days and 42 years post burn, the prevalence of perceived fatigue varied between 5 % and 78 % with no apparent time trends. Broad study populations hindered explaining this varying prevalence by age or %TBSA. In four high-quality longitudinal studies with 3-5 measurements between 1 and 24 months post burn, the prevalence decreased over time, dropping from approximately 70 to 50 % in adults and 65 to 28 % in children. Studies used various measurement instruments and cut-off points for operationalizing perceived fatigue, severely limiting the interpretation and comparison of prevalence rates across studies.CONCLUSIONS: The high prevalence and persistent nature of perceived fatigue among burn survivors emphasize its crucial role in burn rehabilitation. Future studies should prioritize identifying individuals with adverse trajectories of perceived fatigue and unravelling underlying mechanisms to develop effective treatments for reducing post-burn perceived fatigue.
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