ABSTRACT
Objective@#To summarize the measures and experience of treatment in mass extremely severe burn patients.@*Methods@#The clinical data and treatment of 8 extremely severe burn patients in August 2 Kunshan factory aluminum dust explosion accident who were admitted in the 100th Hospital of PLA on August 2nd, 2014, were retrospectively analyzed. There were 4 males and 4 females, aging 22-45 (34±7) years, with total burn area of 55%-98% [(89±15)%] total body surface area (TBSA) and full-thickness burn area of 45%-97% [(80±21)%] TBSA. All the 8 patients were accompanied with severe shock, inhalation injury, and blast injury. According to the requirements of former PLA General Logistics Department and Nanjing Military Command, a treatment team was set up including a special medical unit and a special care unit, with Chai Jiake from the First Affiliated Hospital of PLA General Hospital as the team leader, Zheng Qingyi from the 175th Hospital of PLA (the Affiliated Dongnan Hospital of Xiamen University) as the deputy leader, the 100th Hospital of PLA as the treatment base, and burn care, respiratory, nephrology, nursing specialists from the First Affiliated Hospital of PLA General Hospital, and the burn care experts and nursing staff from the 180th Hospital of PLA, 118th Hospital of PLA, 98th Hospital of PLA, and 175th Hospital of PLA, and nurses from the 85th Hospital of PLA, 455th Hospital of PLA, 101th Hospital of PLA, 113th Hospital of PLA as team members. Treatment strategies were adopted as unified coordination by the superior, unified responsibility of team leader, division of labor and cooperation between team members, and multidisciplinary cooperation led by department of burns. With exception of one patient who received deep vein catheterization before admission, the other 7 patients were treated with deep vein catheterization 0.5 to 3.0 hours after admission to correct hypovolemic shock as soon as possible. Eight patients received tracheotomy, and 7 patients were treated with mechanical ventilation by ventilator in protective ventilation strategy with low tide volume and low volume pressure to assist breathing. Fiberoptic bronchoscopy was done one to three times for all the 8 patients to confirm airway injuries and healing status. Escharectomy and Meek dermatoplasty in the extremities of all the 8 patients were performed 3 to 6 days after injury for the first time. Escharectomy, microskin grafting, and covering of large pieces of allogeneic skin on the trunks of 4 patients were performed 11 to 16 days after injury for the second time. The broad-spectrum antibiotics were uniformly used at first time of anti-infective therapy, and then the antibiotics species were adjusted in time. The balance of internal environment was maintained and the visceral functions were protected. One special care unit was on responsibility of only one patient. Psychological intervention was performed on admission. The rehabilitative treatment was started at early stage and in company with the whole treatment.@*Results@#Acute renal injury occurred in 5 patients within 36 hours after injury and their renal function was restored to normal 4 days after injury due to active adjustment of fluid resuscitation program. No pulmonary complications, such as severe pulmonary infection and ventilator-associated pneumonia, occurred in the survived patients. One of the 8 patients died, and the other 7 patients were cured successfully. The wounds were basically healed in 2 patients in 26 or 27 days by 2 or 3 times of operation, and in 5 patients by 4 or 5 times of operation. The basic wound healing time was 26-64 (48±15) days for all the 7 patients.@*Conclusions@#Treatment strategies of unified coordination by the superior, unified responsibility of team leader, division of labor and cooperation between team members, and multidisciplinary cooperation led by department of burns are the bases to successful treatment. Correcting shock as soon as possible is the prerequisite and closing wound as soon as possible is the key to successful treatment. Comprehensive treatment measures, such as maintaining and regulating the function of viscera, improving the body immunity, and preventing and treating the complications, are the important components to successful treatment. It is emphasized that in the treatment of mass extremely severe burn patients, specialist burn treatment should always be in the dominant position, and other related disciplines may play a part in auxiliary function.
ABSTRACT
This paper is to introduce our experiences in treating 2 batches of 13 burn victims transferred from remote areas on postburn days 3 and 4. Methods Thirteen burn victims of 2 mass casualties were transferred to our burns institute from remote areas on postburn days 3 and 4 on June 27, 2001 and June 2, 2002, respectively. There were 4 males and 9 females, age ranged from 20 to 43 years, with a mean age of 31.1±6.2 years. The mean total burn area was 74.3%±24.7% TBSA (range, 25% to 97%). Among them, 10 patients suffered from serious burn with mean total burn area involving 86.0%±11.5% TBSA (range, 60% to 97%), and mean full-thickness burn of 63.9%±26.3% TBSA. Four patients also manifested signs of severe inhalation injury, and 6 patients with moderate inhalation injury. In three patients with mean total burn area covering 35.5%±10.0% TBSA (range, 25% to 45%), with mean full-thickness burn of 15.3%±5.0%, were al having moderate inhalation injuries. Among these 13 patients, 3 were having high body temperature (39℃), while 3 manifested hypothermia. The heart rate was 140-160/min, and respiratory rate 26 to 32/min in 6 patients. Abdominal distension or loss of bowel sound were found in 4 patients. Low white cell and platelet count were found in some patients. In 13 cases, liver function, renal function, myocardiac enzyme, and coagulation function were abnormal. Results Among 13 burn victims, one patient died of myocarditis on postburn day 29, and another one died of hepatic failure (history of chronic hepatitis B) on postburn day 45 with only 2% TBSA of burn wound remained open. Conclusion Burns victims occurred in mass casualties who were transferred from remote areas to our Burns Institute were all in critical condition, usually with multiple complications, demanding most meticulous care. Our strategies in this regard consisted of dispatch of experienced surgeons and nurses to the referring hospitals and the airport to receive the patients to offer appropriate care to them during the journey,organization of the medical staff so that each of them was ordained specific function, thus conditions of the patients were evaluated immediately and appropriate treatment started expeditiously for those lethal complications on arrival. Timely and exact comprehensive treatments were prerequisite to save the patients’ life. Adequate metabolic support should be emphasized, and coagulant of anticoagulant treatment should be carried out when indicated.