[Influences of different rehabilitative methods on function of hands and psychological anxiety of patients with deeply burned hands retaining denatured dermis and grafting large autologous skin].

Objective: To investigate influences of different rehabilitative methods on function of hands and psychological anxiety of patients with deeply burned hands retaining denatured dermis and grafting large autologous skin. Methods: Forty-four patients with deeply burned hands, conforming to the study criteria were admitted to Department of Burns and Reconstructive Surgery of Xiangya Hospital of Central South University from January 2014 to June 2015. Patients were divided into propaganda education rehabilitation group (PER, n=23) and specially-assigned person rehabilitation group (SAPR, n=21) according to the random number table and patients' willingness. On post injury day 3 to 7, 36 burned hands in group PER and 33 burned hands in group SAPR underwent operation of retaining denatured dermis and grafting large autologous skin. Patients in 2 groups received anti-scar treatment of hands with silicone gel from postoperative day 10. Besides, patients in group PER underwent active functional exercise under guidance of duty nurse and received psychological guidance from duty nurse with grade two psychological consultant certificate. Patients in group SAPR underwent active and passive functional exercise under guidance of rehabilitation therapist and received psychological guidance from psychotherapist with intermediate title. In postoperative month (POM) 1, 3 and 6, ranges of active motion of burned finger joints of patients in 2 groups were measured with joint goniometer to calculate excellent and good ratio of total active motion (TAM) range. Values of grip strength of burned hands of patients were measured with electronic hand dynamometer, and psychological anxiety was scored with Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS). Data were processed with chi-square test, independent sample t test, McNemar test, analysis of variance of repeated measurement, SNK test and Bonferroni correction. Results: (1) Ratio of excellent and good of TAM range of burned finger joints of patients in group SAPR in POM 6 was obviously higher than that in group PER (χ(2)=10.745, P<0.0167 ). Ratio of excellent and good of TAM range of burned finger joints of patients in 2 groups in POM 3 were obviously higher than that in POM 1 of the same group, respectively (with P values below 0.0167). (2) Values of grip strength of burned hands of patients in group SAPR in POM 1, 3, and 6 were respectively (8.2±2.6), (21.6±2.6) and (30.1±2.3) kg, obviously higher than those in group PER [ (5.3±1.3), (12.8±2.7), (20.0±1.8) kg, respectively, with t values from 5.934 to 20.403, P values below 0.01]. Values of grip strength of burned hands of patients in 2 groups in POM 3 and 6 were obviously higher than those at the previous time point of the same group (with P values below 0.05). (3) SAS scores of patients in group SAPR in POM 1, 3 and 6 were significantly lower than those in group PER (with t values from 2.944 to 4.758, P values below 0.01). SAS scores of patients in 2 groups in POM 3 and 6 were significantly lower than those at the previous time point of the same group (with P values below 0.05). Conclusions: Compared with rehabilitation of propaganda and education, rehabilitation under specially-assigned person can improve TAM range of burned finger joints, value of grip strength, and psychological anxiety of patients with deeply burned hands retaining the denatured dermis and grafting large autologous skin.

[Bibliometric analysis of scientific articles on evidence-based nursing of burn in the mainland of China].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the current research status of evidence-based nursing of burn in the mainland of China, in order to provide basis for the improvement of scientificity of burn nursing practice. METHODS: Chinese scientific articles on evidence-based nursing of burn in the mainland of China published from January 1997 to December 2015 were retrieved from Chinese Biology Medicine disc, Chinese Journals Full-text Database, Wanfang Database, and VIP Database. From the results retrieved, date with regard to publication year, region of affiliation of the first author, journal distribution, literature type, literature quality assessment, topic of evidence-based research, fund program support, implementation of evidence-based practice steps, and language and quantity of reference. Data were processed with Microsoft Excel software. RESULTS: A total of 50 articles conforming to the criteria were retrieved. (1) Articles about evidence-based nursing of burn arose in 2004. Compared with that in the previous year, there was no obvious increase in the number of relevant articles in each year from 2004 to 2011. The number of literature in 2012 was obviously increased than that in each year from 2004 to 2011, while the number of literature in each year from 2012 to 2015 was not obviously increased compared with that in the previous year. (2) The regions of affiliation of the first author were distributed in 13 provinces, 3 minority autonomous regions, and 3 municipalities, with the largest distribution in East China, and Northwest China and Southwest China in the follow. (3) The articles were published in 32 domestic journals, with 9 (28.12%) nursing journals, 5 (15.62%) burn medical related journals, and 18 (56.25%) other journals. Twenty (40%) articles were published in Source Journal for Chinese Scientific and Technical Papers. (4) Regarding the literature type, 31 (62%) articles dealt with clinical experiences, 17 (34%) articles dealt with scientific research, and 2 (4%) articles dealt with case report. (5) There were 21 quantitative study articles and 29 narrative study articles, all with low quality. (6) The topics of evidence-based research in these articles were mainly burn rehabilitation, burn nursing technology, pediatric burn, inhalation injury and airway management, and complications of burn injury. Only one study was supported by fund program. (7) Only one article described complete evidence-based practice steps. (8) The literature cited 57 English articles as references, with an average of 1.14, and 316 Chinese articles, with an average of 6.32. CONCLUSIONS: The concept of evidence-based nursing of burn has been initially formed in the mainland of China. The number of relevant articles is on the rise, but the quality needs to be further improved. There is an urgent need to improve nurses' understanding of evidence-based nursing and their command of the method of evidence-based practice through on-job training, so as to improve the scientificity and effectiveness of burn nursing.

Statistical perspective on adjusting for center effect in a 2 x 2 crossover design with application to clinical trials.

Patients for large-scale clinical trials are typically recruited from multiple centers to ensure adequate patient population and timely enrollment. In this note, carryover, treatment, and period effects for continuous data in multicenter studies with a 2 x 2 crossover design are examined using two types of covariate analysis adjusted for center effect proposed by Castellana and Patel (1). The correspondence among F-tests for various sources of variation in the two approaches is derived in detail. An example from a clinical study with complete and incomplete data is given to illustrate the use of the two types of covariate analysis. Also, the impact of complete and incomplete data on the covariate analyses is discussed along with the weighted squares of means analysis used in SAS procedure PROC GLM and residual maximum likelihood (REML) estimation employed in SAS procedure PROC MIXED.

A note on the sample size determination in two-period repeated measurements crossover design with application to clinical trials.

The two-period repeated measurements crossover design is often used in clinical trials. In this article we give a formula for sample size determination for testing treatment effect in two-period repeated measurements crossover design by taking an analysis of variance approach to the repeated measurements analysis. A balanced situation is considered: two treatment sequences that have the same number of patients, and the time points of measurements on each subject within each treatment period equal in number. The formula reveals the relationship between the required number of patients for each treatment sequence, the number of repeated measurements within each treatment period, the detectable treatment difference with respect to a primary response variable, and the power for testing the treatment difference. A clinical trial example is given to illustrate the use of the formula.