Subject(s)
Anti-Infective Agents, Local/therapeutic use , Burns/surgery , Practice Patterns, Physicians' , Wound Infection/prevention & control , Chlorhexidine/therapeutic use , Humans , Povidone-Iodine/therapeutic use , Surgical Procedures, Operative/methods , Surveys and Questionnaires , United KingdomABSTRACT
UNLABELLED: Hair straighteners have become a popular and common household appliance. The incidence of burns from these devices is rising, and is of particular concern given that the main casualties are infants. We present the largest case series in the literature of paediatric burns from hair straightening devices. METHODS: Retrospective data collection of all burns by hair straightening devices presenting to our unit between 2007 and 2011. Details on demographics, time and mechanism of injury, size and depth of injury and treatment received were recorded. RESULTS: There were 155 cases in the five-year period. The mean age was 19 months. The majority of the burns were caused by a 'touch/grab' (49%) or 'stepped-into' (14%) mechanism. The area most frequently burnt was the hand with 60% of the injuries. 8 out of the 155 required excision and grafting. CONCLUSION: Hair straightening devices can reach temperatures of over 220°C and can cause significant full thickness injuries. Our study shows that infants and toddlers are at most risk. These are preventable burns that warrant our attention, and we would advocate the use of heat-resistant pouches and closure clips on the devices to help minimise the risk of injury.
Subject(s)
Beauty Culture/instrumentation , Burns/etiology , Household Articles , Adolescent , Age Distribution , Burns/epidemiology , Child , Child, Preschool , Cohort Studies , Female , Humans , Infant , Male , Retrospective Studies , Sex DistributionABSTRACT
The most common pediatric burn injury is a superficial scald. The current follow-up protocol for such burns includes review of the patient at 2 weeks postinjury and then 2 months later. The authors decided to review the protocol to assess the need for this second follow-up. A retrospective study reviewed the case notes of patients younger than 16 years at the time of their injury presenting with a scald over 5% TBSA. The progress of healing and scar development up to 5 years follow-up was assessed. This study showed that scalds healing within 2 weeks following injury rarely became hypertrophic. A prospective study was performed over a 10-month period. All children who suffered a superficial partial-thickness scald injury were included. At the 2-week appointment, the need for further follow-up was predicted. The accuracy of this prediction was assessed 2 months later. This study showed that an experienced member of the burns team could reliably predict at 2-week appointment those children who could be safely discharged with no subsequent need for scar management. This study suggests that it will be safe to modify the follow-up protocol, reducing the number of clinic attendances.
Subject(s)
Burns/therapy , Wound Healing , Adolescent , Burns/complications , Burns/pathology , Child , Child, Preschool , Cicatrix, Hypertrophic/epidemiology , Cicatrix, Hypertrophic/pathology , Cicatrix, Hypertrophic/prevention & control , Clinical Protocols , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Infant , Male , Needs Assessment , Retrospective Studies , Time Factors , Treatment OutcomeSubject(s)
Burns, Electric/etiology , Electric Power Supplies/adverse effects , Thigh/injuries , Aged, 80 and over , Humans , MaleSubject(s)
Plastic Surgery Procedures/psychology , Self-Injurious Behavior/therapy , Adolescent , Adult , Female , Hand Injuries/psychology , Humans , Male , Patient Care Team , RecurrenceABSTRACT
UNLABELLED: This article describes a technique to create a novel Biobrane glove to treat superficial circumferential paediatrics hand scalds. It includes step by step instructions and illustrations to demonstrate the application of two sheets of Biobrane to cover the entire hand. CONCLUSION: This method seems to be more cost-effective than the Biobrane glove distributed by Smith & Nephew.
Subject(s)
Burns/therapy , Coated Materials, Biocompatible , Gloves, Protective , Hand Injuries/therapy , Occlusive Dressings , Child , Equipment Design , Humans , Wound HealingABSTRACT
Staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome (SSSS) is a rare toxin-mediated condition caused by Staphylococcus aureus, which causes blistering and desquamation of the skin. Between November 2005 and April 2006, four children were admitted to critical care beds in the South West Regional Paediatric Burns Unit because of SSSS affecting more than 50% of the body surface area. Details of these cases are presented, highlighting the potential severity of the condition. The cases also illustrate that fluid overload is a common complication of the condition, despite hypovolaemia being the more obvious risk, and that both hyponatraemia and leukopenia are frequent findings. These summaries clearly demonstrate the need for paediatric critical care in a tertiary burns unit for children with SSSS affecting a large proportion of the body surface area. The cluster of admissions prompted us to write a management protocol for children with severe SSSS and a summary of this is provided. Most children with SSSS will initially present to general paediatric units, where mild cases will be managed, but severe cases should be promptly referred to a tertiary paediatric burns unit for multi-disciplinary care in a critical care environment.
Subject(s)
Critical Care/methods , Staphylococcal Scalded Skin Syndrome/therapy , Analgesia/methods , Bandages , Burn Units , Child , Child, Preschool , Enteral Nutrition/methods , Female , Fluid Therapy/methods , Humans , Hyponatremia/etiology , Hyponatremia/therapy , Length of Stay/statistics & numerical data , Leukocyte Count , Male , Patient Care Team , Staphylococcal Scalded Skin Syndrome/diagnosis , Staphylococcal Scalded Skin Syndrome/pathology , Water-Electrolyte Imbalance/etiology , Water-Electrolyte Imbalance/therapyABSTRACT
Desde el año de 1995 se han estado realizando mediciones continuas de las emisiones del isótopo radiactivo Radón-222 en los suelos de los volcanes Galeras y nevado del Ruiz; y sobre fallas activas en los departamentos de Nariño, Cauca y Caldas. En el monitoreo del gas Radón-222 se ha utilizado el sistema de medición de cámaras ionizantes E-PERM, atrapando los gases en el horizonte B de los suelos. Se ha encontrado que en zonas de fallamiento activo las emisiones de este gas están entre los 1000 y 2500 pCi/L. En algunos cruces de fallas activas se han medido niveles hasta de 25000 pCi/L. En el presente trabajo se presenta una compilación de ejemplos de las emisiones anómalas registradas en varias estaciones antes de sismos de carácter tectónico. Se muestran anomalías del Radón registradas antes de: (1) eventos de magnitudes entre 2 y 4; (2) el terremoto del Quindío de enero de 1999; y (3) la ocurrencia de enjambres sísmicos registrados por las redes sismológicas de los Observatorios Vulcanológicos y Sismológicos de Pasto y Manizales. (AU)
