Treatment Decisions in Patients With Potentially Nonsurvivable Burn Injury in Australia and New Zealand: A Registry-Based Study.

Whilst burn-related mortality is rare in high-income countries, there are unique features related to prognostication that make examination of decision-making practices important to explore. Compared to other kinds of trauma, burn patients (even those with nonsurvivable injuries) may be relatively stable after injury initially. Complications or patient comorbidity may make it clear later in the clinical trajectory that ongoing treatment is futile. Burn care clinicians are therefore required to make decisions regarding the withholding or withdrawal of treatment in patients with potentially nonsurvivable burn injury. There is yet to be a comprehensive investigation of treatment decision practices following burn injury in Australia and New Zealand. Data for patients admitted to specialist burn services between July 2009 and June 2020 were obtained from the Burns Registry of Australia and New Zealand. Patients were grouped according to treatment decision: palliative management, active treatment withdrawn, and active treatment until death. Predictors of treatment initiation and withholding or withdrawing treatment within 24 hours were assessed using multilevel mixed-effects logistic regression. Descriptive comparisons between treatment groups were made. Of the 32,186 patients meeting study inclusion criteria, 327 (1.0%) died prior to discharge. Fifty-six patients were treated initially with palliative intent and 227 patients had active treatment initiated and later withdrawn. Increasing age and burn size reduced the odds of having active treatment initiated. We demonstrate differences in demographic and injury severity characteristics as well as end of life decision-making timing between different treatment pathways pursued for patients who die in-hospital. Our next step into the decision-making process is to gain a greater understanding of the clinician's perspective (eg, through surveys and/or interviews).

Exploring clinicians' decision-making processes about end-of-life care after burns: A qualitative interview study.

INTRODUCTION: Little is known about treatment decision-making experiences and how/why particular attitudes exist amongst specialist burn clinicians when faced with patients with potentially non-survivable burn injuries. This exploratory qualitative study aimed to understand clinicians' decision-making processes regarding end-of-life (EoL) care after a severe and potentially non-survivable burn injury. METHODS: Eleven clinicians experienced in EoL decision-making were interviewed via telephone or video conferencing in June-August 2021. A thematic analysis was undertaken using a framework approach. RESULTS: Decision-making about initiating EoL care was described as complex and multifactorial. On occasions when people presented with 'unsurvivable' injuries, decision-making was clear. Most clinicians used a multidisciplinary team approach to initiate EoL; variations existed on which professions were included in the decision-making process. Many clinicians reported using protocols or guidelines that could be personalised to each patient. The use of pathways/protocols might explain why clinicians did not report routine involvement of palliative care clinicians in EoL discussions. CONCLUSION: The process of EoL decision-making for a patient with a potentially non-survivable burn injury was layered, complex, and tailored. Processes and approaches varied, although most used protocols to guide EoL decisions. Despite the reported complexity of EoL decision-making, palliative care teams were rarely involved or consulted.

Burn Care Specialists' Views Toward End-of-Life Decision-Making in Patients With Severe Burn Injury: Findings From an Online Survey in Australia and New Zealand.

Burn care clinicians are required to make critical decisions regarding the withholding and withdrawal of treatment in patients with severe and potentially non-survivable burn injuries. Little is known about how Australian and New Zealand burn care specialists approach decision-making for these patients. This study aimed to understand clinician beliefs, values, considerations, and difficulties regarding palliative and end-of-life (EoL) care discussions and decision-making following severe burn injury in Australian and New Zealand burn services. An online survey collected respondent and institutional demographic data as well as information about training and involvement in palliative care/EoL decision-making discussions from nurses, surgeons, and intensivists in Australian and New Zealand hospitals with specialist burn services. Twenty-nine burns nurses, 26 burns surgeons, and 15 intensivists completed the survey. Respondents were predominantly female (64%) and had a median of 15 years of experience in treating burn patients. All respondents received little training in EoL decision-making during their undergraduate education; intensivists reported receiving more on-the-job training. Specialist clinicians differed on who they felt should contribute to EoL discussions. Ninety percent of respondents reported injury severity as a key factor in their decision-making to withhold or withdraw treatment, but less than half reported considering age in their decision-making. Approximately two-thirds indicated a high probability of death or a poor predicted quality of life influenced their decision-making. The three cohorts of clinicians had similar views toward certain aspects of EoL decision-making. Qualitative research could provide detailed insights into the varying perspectives held by clinicians.

Examining the patient profile and variance of management and in-hospital outcomes for Australian adult burns patients.

BACKGROUND: Burn injuries are a common subtype of trauma. Variation in models of care impacts clinical measures of interest, but a nation-wide examination of these measures has not been undertaken. Using data from the Burns Registry of Australia and New Zealand (BRANZ), we explored variation between Australian adult burn services with respect to treatment and clinical measures of interest. METHODS: Data for admissions July 2016 to June 2020 were extracted. Clinical measures of interest included intensive care admission, skin grafting, in-hospital death, unplanned readmissions, and length of stay (LOS). Estimated probabilities, means, and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated for each service. RESULTS: The BRANZ recorded 8365 admissions during the study period. Variation between specialist burn services in admissions, demographics, management, and clinical measures of interest were observed. This variation remained after accounting for covariates. Specifically, the adjusted proportion (95% CI) of in-hospital mortality ranged from 0.15% (0.10-0.21%) to 1.22% (0.9-1.5%). The adjusted mean LOS ranged from 3.8 (3.3-4.3) to 8.2 (6.7-9.7) days. CONCLUSIONS: A decade after its launch, BRANZ data displays variation between Australian specialist burn services. We suspect differences in models of care between services contributes to this variation. Ongoing research has begun to explore reasons underlying how this variation influences clinical measures of interest. Further engagement with services about models of care will enhance understanding of this variation and develop evidence-based guidelines for burn care in Australia.

Multidisciplinary team response to a mass burn casualty event: outcomes and implications.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the characteristics of patients with burn injury admitted to a major trauma hospital in Melbourne following the Black Saturday bushfires of 7 February 2009, and to provide a detailed analysis of the hospital's response to the crisis. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: A retrospective chart review of ambulance and hospital records of patients admitted to the Victorian Adult Burns Service (VABS) at The Alfred Hospital (The Alfred) following the bushfires. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Patient characteristics and outcomes: age, sex, total and full thickness body surface area burnt, type and site of burn, hospital and intensive care unit length of stay (LOS) and receipt of standard burn care practices. Estimated glomerular filtration rate, theatre time and LOS data for the bushfire cohort compared with corresponding data for historical cohorts from VABS and from a similar institution in New Zealand. RESULTS: Nineteen patients were admitted to VABS over the first 48 hours after the bushfires. Of these, nine patients were subsequently admitted to The Alfred's intensive care unit. Most patients (74%) were men with a mean age of 52.7 years (SD, 12.4 years). Seventeen patients (89%) underwent at least one surgical procedure, which resulted in 4355 minutes of theatre time for the bushfire cohort in the first week. Hospital LOS was similar for the bushfire and New Zealand cohorts. Compared with the VABS historical cohort, there was a higher incidence of abnormal renal function among the bushfire cohort patients. CONCLUSIONS: Although relatively few patients with severe burns were admitted to VABS, significant increases in resource allocation were required to manage them in terms of additional theatre time, consumables and staffing. The experience of VABS may aid planning for future mass burns casualty events.

Bushfire disaster burn casualty management: the Australian "Black Saturday" bushfire experience.

Mass burn disasters are among the most difficult disasters to manage, with major burns requiring complex management in a multidisciplinary setting and specialist burns services having limited capacity to deal with large numbers of complex patients. There is a paucity of literature addressing health system responses to mass burn disasters resulting from wildfires, with the events of the "Black Saturday" disaster in the state of Victoria, Australia, able to provide a unique opportunity to draw lessons and increase awareness of key management issues arising in mass burn casualty disasters. The event comprised the worst natural disaster in the state's history and one of the worst wildfire disasters in world history, claiming 173 lives and costing more than AUD 4 billion. This article draws on the national burns disaster plan instituted, Australian Mass Casualty Burn Disaster Plan (AUSBURNPLAN), and details the management of mass burn cases through a systems-based perspective.

Epidemiology of burn-related fatalities in Australia and New Zealand, 2009-2015.

BACKGROUND: Knowledge of the epidemiology of burn-related fatalities is limited, with most previous studies based on hospital and burn centre data only. AIMS: To describe the epidemiological characteristics of all burn-related fatalities in Australia and New Zealand, and to identify any trends in burn-related fatality incidence over the study period. METHODS: Data from the National Coronial Information System, including data for pre-hospital and in-hospital burn-related fatality cases, was used to examine the characteristics of burn-related fatalities occurring in Australia and New Zealand from 2009 to 2015. Burn-related fatality rates per 100,000 population were estimated, and incidence trends assessed using Poisson regression analysis. RESULTS: Of the 310 burn-related fatalities that occurred in Australia and New Zealand, 2009-2015, 41% occurred in a pre-hospital setting. Overall, most burn-related fatality cases were fire related, occurred at home, and were of people aged 41-80 years. One quarter of all burn-related fatalities were a result of intentional self-harm. The population incidence of all burn-related fatalities combined, and for NSW, decreased over the study period. CONCLUSIONS: This study has identified the importance of examining all burn-related fatalities. If this is not done, vulnerable population subgroups will be missed and prevention efforts poorly targeted.

WITHDRAWN: Scald burns in children aged 14 and younger in Australia and New Zealand-An analysis based on the Bi-National Burns Registry (BiNBR).

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The effects of splinting on shoulder function in adult burns.

INTRODUCTION: Exercises are commonly prescribed to improve shoulder range following axillary burns, but the effect of additional splinting is unclear. AIM: To compare splinting and exercise to exercise alone in adults with axillary burns. METHOD: Prospective randomised study allocating participants to a splinting (n=27) or no splinting group (n=25). Outcomes measured at six and twelve weeks were shoulder abduction and flexion range, quality of life using the Burn Specific Health Scale-Brief (BSHS-B) questionnaire and upper limb function using the Upper Extremity Functional Index (UEFI) and the Grocery Shelving Task (GST). RESULTS: At week twelve, there was no difference between groups for shoulder abduction (mean difference 0°, 95% CI -22 to 22°), flexion (mean difference 2°, 95% CI -18 to 23°), BSHS-B (mean difference -2 points, 95% CI -23 to 18 points), UEFI (mean difference -3 points, 95% CI -19 to 14 points) and GST (mean difference -9s, 95% CI -20 to 3s). Adherence to splinting decreased from 77% of participants at week one to 16% at week twelve. CONCLUSION: Shoulder splints did not improve clinical outcomes in this study population and low adherence rates suggest splinting may be unacceptable to patients and makes drawing firm conclusions difficult.

Profile, transport and outcomes of severe burns patients within an inclusive, regionalized trauma system.

BACKGROUND: Severe burns represent a challenging and complex clinical presentation, requiring highly specialized burns centres that are staffed and equipped appropriately. The integration of burns care into trauma systems has been recommended. This study describes the profile, transfer and outcomes of severe burns within an inclusive, regionalized trauma system. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data from the Victorian State Trauma Registry for the period July 2001­June 2009 was performed. Major trauma cases with any burn injury were analysed. A severe burns case was defined as a total body surface area (TBSA) burned ≥20%. Descriptive statistics were used to define the profile of severe burns cases, their management and in-hospital outcomes. RESULTS: For the 315 cases, the mean (standard deviation) age was 39 (22) years, and 73% were male. Fire/flames was the predominant cause (72%), and 39% sustained an inhalation injury. All paediatric (n = 37) and 98% of adult cases with a %TBSA ≥20 were managed at the state's burn services. Half of the cases experienced an inter-hospital transfer. Sixty-seven percent of cases were admitted to the intensive care unit, 22% died in-hospital and the median length of stay was 31 days. CONCLUSIONS: An inclusive trauma system with burns services co-located at the major trauma services resulted in almost complete referral of severe burns cases to burns services for management. Half of the cases arrived at the burns services directly from the scene of injury, highlighting the importance of ongoing clinical education about the initial management of severe burns at non-burns service hospitals.

Mortality prediction and outcomes among burns patients from Australian and New Zealand intensive care units.

BACKGROUND: Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) III scores have been shown to correlate with outcomes for patients with burn injuries. It is unknown whether they can be used to compare outcomes between intensive care units that admit patients with burns in Australia and New Zealand. OBJECTIVE: To assess the APACHE III-j score as a predictor of mortality for burns patients and use it to compare riskadjusted outcomes between different ICUs. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Retrospective cohort study of all patients listed in the Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society Adult Patient Database with a diagnosis of burns between 1 January 2001 and 30 June 2008. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the relationship between APACHE III-j score and mortality, and to derive a predicted risk of death for each patient. Standardized mortality ratios for individual ICUs were calculated and outcome variation assessed. RESULTS: Data on 1618 patients were included in the analysis (mean age, 40.6 years; mortality, 13.2%). Increasing APACHE III-j scores were significantly associated with increasing likelihood of death (odds ratio, 1.05 [95%CI, 1.04-1.06]). The largest ICU and two small ICUs had risk-adjusted outcomes that were significantly better than the rest. Over the study period there was a decline in observed mortality accompanied by a parallel reduction in predicted risk of death. CONCLUSION: The APACHE III-j score is a good predictor of death among burns patients admitted to ICUs in Australia and New Zealand. It can be used to compare risk-adjusted outcomes between individual ICUs and over time.

Effect of different wound dressings on cell viability and proliferation.

BACKGROUND: Many new dressings have been developed since the early 1980s. Wound healing comprises cleansing, granulation/vascularization, and epithelialization phases. An optimum microenvironment and the absence of cytotoxic factors are essential for epithelialization. This study examines the effect of extracts of different wound dressings on keratinocyte survival and proliferation. METHODS: Keratinocyte cultures were exposed for 40 hours to at least three extracts of each of the following wound dressings, which were tested in octuplicate: Acticoat, Aquacel-Ag, Aquacel, Algisite M, Avance, Comfeel Plus transparent, Contreet-H, Hydrasorb, and SeaSorb. Silicone extract provided the reference material. Controls were included of cells cultured in medium that had been incubated under conditions identical to those used with the extracts. Cell survival (3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide reduction) and proliferation (5-bromo-2':-deoxyuridine incorporation) were measured. RESULTS: Extracts of silver-containing dressings (Acticoat, Aquacel-Ag, Contreet-H, and Avance) were most cytotoxic. Extracts of Hydrasorb were less cytotoxic but markedly affected keratinocyte proliferation and morphology. Extracts of alginate-containing dressings (Algisite M, SeaSorb, and Contreet-H) demonstrated high calcium concentrations, markedly reduced keratinocyte proliferation, and affected keratinocyte morphology. Extracts of Aquacel and Comfeel Plus transparent induced small but significant inhibition of keratinocyte proliferation. CONCLUSIONS: The principle of minimizing harm should be applied to the choice of wound dressing. Silver-based dressings are cytotoxic and should not be used in the absence of infection. Alginate dressings with high calcium content affect keratinocyte proliferation probably by triggering terminal differentiation of keratinocytes. Such dressings should be used with caution in cases in which keratinocyte proliferation is essential. All dressings should be tested in vitro before clinical application.