Epidemiology of injuries, treatment (costs) and outcome in burn patients admitted to a hospital with or without dedicated burn centre (Burn-Pro): protocol for a multicentre prospective observational study.

INTRODUCTION: The Emergency Management of Severe Burns (EMSB) referral criteria have been implemented for optimal triaging of burn patients. Admission to a burn centre is indicated for patients with severe burns or with specific characteristics like older age or comorbidities. Patients not meeting these criteria can also be treated in a hospital without burn centre. Limited information is available about the organisation of care and referral of these patients. The aims of this study are to determine the burn injury characteristics, treatment (costs), quality of life and scar quality of burn patients admitted to a hospital without dedicated burn centre. These data will subsequently be compared with data from patients with<10% total bodysurface area (TBSA) burned who are admitted (or secondarily referred) to a burn centre. If admissions were in agreement with the EMSB, referral criteria will also be determined. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: In this multicentre, prospective, observational study (cohort study), the following two groups of patients will be followed: 1) all patients (no age limit) admitted with burn-related injuries to a hospital without a dedicated burn centre in the Southwest Netherlands or Brabant Trauma Region and 2) all patients (no age limit) with<10% TBSA burned who are primarily admitted (or secondarily referred) to the burn centre of Maasstad Hospital. Data on the burn injury characteristics (primary outcome), EMSB compliance, treatment, treatment costs and outcome will be collected from the patients' medical files. At 3 weeks and at 3, 6 and 12 months after trauma, patients will be asked to complete the quality of life questionnaire (EuroQoL-5D), and the patient-reported part of the Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale (POSAS). At those time visits, the coordinating investigator or research assistant will complete the observer-reported part of the POSAS. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This study has been exempted by the medical research ethics committee Erasmus MC (Rotterdam, The Netherlands). Each participant will provide written consent to participate and remain encoded during the study. The results of the study are planned to be published in an international, peer-reviewed journal. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NTR6565.

Long-term functional sequelae of sacrococcygeal teratoma: a national study in The Netherlands.

BACKGROUND: Long-term functional sequelae after resection of sacrococcygeal teratoma (SCT) are relatively common. This study determines the incidence of these sequelae associated clinical variables and its impact on quality of life (QoL). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with SCT treated from 1980 to 2003 at the pediatric surgical centers in The Netherlands aged more than 3 years received age-specific questionnaires, which assessed parameters reflecting bowel function (involuntary bowel movements, soiling, constipation), urinary incontinence, subjective aspect of the scar, and QoL. These parameters were correlated with clinical variables, which were extracted from the medical records. Risk factors were identified using univariate analysis. RESULTS: Of the 99 posted questionnaires, 79 (80%) were completed. The median age of the patients was 9.7 years (range, 3.2-22.6 years). There were 46% who reported impaired bowel function and/or urinary incontinence (9% involuntary bowel movements, 13% soiling, 17% constipation), and 31% urinary incontinence. In 40%, the scar was cosmetically unacceptable. Age at completion of the questionnaire, Altman classification, sex, and histopathology were not risk factors for any long-term sequelae. Size of the tumor (>500 cm3) was a significant risk factor for cosmetically unacceptable scar (odds ration [OR], 4.73; confidence limit [CL], 1.21-18.47; P = .026). Long-term sequelae were correlated with diminished QoL. CONCLUSION: A large proportion of the patients with SCT have problems with defecation, urinary incontinence, or a cosmetically unacceptable scar that affects QoL. Patients who are at higher risk for the development of long-term sequelae cannot be clearly assessed using clinical variables.