In this study, the outcome of treatment with Flammacerium in burn patients is studied. The retrospective study involved patients with acute burns admitted to the Burn Centre of Martini Hospital, Groningen, The Netherlands, between 2009 and 2014. The outcome parameters were mortality, complications (noninfectious and infectious), need of surgery, and length of stay. The group of patients consisted of 853 patients, of which 554 were male (64.9%). There were 23 patients with a total burn size of 40% TBSA or more (2.7%). In total, 13 of the 853 patients (1.5%) died, and none of them were children (<16 years). The overall mortality in the group of patient with burns >40% TBSA was 30.4%. In the elderly group (>70 years), the mortality rate was 6.3%. Treatment with Flammacerium is applicable in all thermal burn patients. Especially children, elderly patients, and patients with severe burns can benefit from a more conservative treatment with Flammacerium whereby the first operation can be postponed until the patient is stabilized and in which the wounds can be covered directly with skin transplants.
BACKGROUND: The face is a frequent site of burn, but prevalence rates vary and reports are often limited to one healthcare setting. We examined the incidence of facial burns in the Netherlands in Emergency Departments (ED), hospitals and burn centres. Additionally, we identified which patient, injury and burn-related characteristics were predictors of facial burns, facial surgery and facial reconstruction in burn centres.METHODS: A retrospective, observational study was conducted including data from the Dutch Injury Surveillance System, the National Hospital Discharge Register and burn centres in a 5-year period (2003-2007).RESULTS: Facial burn incidences per 100,000 were 15.1 for ED visits, 1.3 for hospital admissions and 1.4 for burn centre admissions. A total of 2691 patients were admitted to Dutch burn centres; 47.5% (n=1277) had facial burns of which 20.5% received primary facial surgery and 5.3% received facial reconstruction in follow-up. Predictors of facial burns and facial surgery were identified. Predictors of facial reconstructive surgery were burns to the neck (ventral), fire/flame burns and number of facial surgeries in the acute phase of the burn.CONCLUSIONS: One in five patients with facial burns admitted to a Dutch burn centre received primary facial surgery and 1 in 20 received facial reconstructive surgery within a follow-up of minimum 2 years.
INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to characterize the epidemiology of severe burns in the Netherlands, including trends in burn centre admissions, non burn centre admissions and differences by age.METHODS: Patients with burn-related primary admission in a Dutch centre from 1995 to 2011 were included. Nationwide prospectively collected data were used from three separate historical databases and the uniform Dutch Burn Repository R3 (2009 onwards). General hospital data were derived from the National Hospital Discharge Register. Age and gender-adjusted rates were calculated by direct standardization, using the 2005 population as the reference standard.RESULTS: The annual number of admitted patients increased from 430 in 1995 to 747 in 2011, incidence rates increased from 2.72 to 4.66 per 100,000. Incidence rates were high in young children, aged 0-4 years and doubled from 10.26 to 22.96 per 100,000. Incidence rates in persons from 5 up to 59 increased as well, in older adults (60 years and older) admission rates were stable. Overall burn centre mortality rate was 4.1%, and significantly decreased over time. There was a trend towards admissions of less extensive burns, median total burned surface area (TBSA) decreased from 8% to 4%. Length of stay and length of stay per percent TBSA decreased over time as well.CONCLUSIONS: Data on 9031 patients admitted in a 17-year period showed an increasing incidence rate of burn-related burn centre admissions, with a decreasing TBSA and decreasing in-burn centre mortality. These data are important for prevention and establishment of required burn care capacity.
