Randomized Controlled Trial of Telementoring During Resource-Limited Patient Care Simulation Improves Caregiver Performance and Patient Survival.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the impact of telementoring on caregiver performance during a high-fidelity medical simulation model (HFMSM) of a critically ill patient in a resource-limited setting. DESIGN: A two-center, randomized, controlled study using a HFMSM of a patient with community-acquired pneumonia complicated by acute respiratory distress syndrome. SETTING: A notional clinic in a remote location staffed by a single clinician and nonmedical assistant. PARTICIPANTS: Clinicians with limited experience managing critically ill patients. INTERVENTIONS: Telemedicine (TM) support. MEASUREMENTS: The primary outcome was clinical performance as measured by accuracy, reliability, and efficiency of care. Secondary outcomes were patient survival, procedural quality, subjective assessment of the HFMSM, and perceived workload. MAIN RESULTS: TM participants (N = 11) performed better than non-TM (NTM, N = 12) in providing expected care (accuracy), delivering care more consistently (reliability), and without consistent differences in efficiency (timeliness of care). Accuracy: TM completed 91% and NTM 42% of expected tasks and procedures. Efficiency: groups did not differ in the mean (± sd) minutes it took to obtain an advanced airway successfully (TM 15.2 ± 10.5 vs. NTM 22.8 ± 8.4, p = 0.10) or decompress a tension pneumothorax with a needle (TM 0.7 ± 0.5 vs. NTM 0.6 ± 0.9, p = 0.65). TM was slower than NTM in completing thoracostomy (22.3 ± 10.2 vs. 12.3 ± 4.8, p = 0.03). Reliability: TM performed 13 of 17 (76%) tasks with more consistent timing than NTM. TM completed 68% and NTM 29% of procedural quality metrics. Eighty-two percent of the TM participants versus 17% of the NTM participants simulated patients survived (p = 0.003). The groups similarly perceived the HFMSM as realistic, managed their patients with personal ownership, and experienced comparable workload and stress. CONCLUSIONS: Remote expertise provided with TM to caregivers in resource-limited settings improves caregiver performance, quality of care, and potentially real patient survival. HFMSM can be used to study interventions in ways not possible with real patients.

Higher Initial Formula for Resuscitation After Severe Burn Injury Means Higher 24-Hour Volumes.

Initial fluid infusion rates for resuscitation of burn injuries typically use formulas based on patient weight and total body surface area (TBSA) burned. However, the impact of this rate on overall resuscitation volumes and outcomes have not been extensively studied. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of initial fluid rates on 24-hour volumes and outcomes using the Burn Navigator (BN). The BN database is composed of 300 patients with ≥20% TBSA, >40 kg that were resuscitated utilizing the BN. Four study arms were analyzed based on the initial formula-2 ml/kg/TBSA, 3 ml/kg/TBSA, 4 ml/kg/TBSA or the Rule of Ten. Total fluids infused at 24 hours after admission were compared as well as resuscitation-related outcomes. A total of 296 patients were eligible for analysis. Higher starting rates (4 ml/kg/TBSA) resulted in significantly higher volumes at 24 hours (5.2 ± 2.2 ml/kg/TBSA) than lower rates (2 ml/kg/TBSA resulted in 3.9 ± 1.4 ml/kg/TBSA). No shock was observed in the high resuscitation cohort, whereas the lowest starting rate exhibited a 12% incidence, lower than both the Rule of Ten and 3 ml/kg/TBSA arms. There was no difference in 7-day mortality across groups. Higher initial fluid rates resulted in higher 24-hour fluid volumes. The choice of 2ml/kg/TBSA as initial rate did not result in increased mortality or more complications. An initial rate of 2ml/kg/TBSA is a safe strategy.

Impact of Alcohol and Methamphetamine Use on Burn Resuscitation.

Mortality associated with burn injuries is declining with improved critical care. However, patients admitted with concurrent substance use have increased risk of complications and poor outcomes. The impact of alcohol and methamphetamine use on acute burn resuscitation has been described in single-center studies; however, has not been studied since implementation of computerized decision support for resuscitation. Patients were evaluated based presence of alcohol, with a minimum blood alcohol level of 0.10, or positive methamphetamines on urine drug screen. Fluid volumes and urine output were examined over 48 hours. A total of 296 patients were analyzed. 37 (12.5%) were positive for methamphetamine use, 50 (16.9%) were positive for alcohol use, and 209 (70.1%) with negative for both. Patients positive for methamphetamine received a mean of 5.30 ± 2.63 cc/kg/TBSA, patients positive for alcohol received a mean of 5.41 ± 2.49 cc/kg/TBSA, and patients with neither received a mean of 4.33 ± 1.79 cc/kg/TBSA. Patients with methamphetamine or alcohol use had significantly higher fluid requirements. In the first 6 hours patients with alcohol use had significantly higher urinary output (UO) in comparison to patients with methamphetamine use which had similar output to patients negative for both substances. This study demonstrated that patients with alcohol and methamphetamine use had statistically significantly greater fluid resuscitation requirements compared to patients without. The effects of alcohol as a diuretic align with previous literature. However, patients with methamphetamine lack the increased UO as a cause for their increased fluid requirements.

The Battle of the Titans-Comparing Resuscitation Between Five Major Burn Centers Using the Burn Navigator.

The goal of burn resuscitation is to provide the optimal amount of fluid necessary to maintain end-organ perfusion and prevent burn shock. The objective of this analysis was to examine how the Burn Navigator (BN), a clinical decision support tool in burn resuscitation, was utilized across five major burn centers in the United States, using an observational trial of 300 adult patients. Subject demographics, burn characteristics, fluid volumes, urine output, and resuscitation-related complications were examined. Two hundred eighty-five patients were eligible for analysis. There was no difference among the centers on mean age (45.5 ± 16.8 years), body mass index (29.2 ± 6.9), median injury severity score (18 [interquartile range: 9-25]), or total body surface area (TBSA) (34 [25.8-47]). Primary crystalloid infusion volumes at 24 h differed significantly in ml/kg/TBSA (range: 3.1 ± 1.2 to 4.5 ± 1.7). Total fluids, including colloid, drip medications, and enteral fluids, differed among centers in both ml/kg (range: 132.5 ± 61.4 to 201.9 ± 109.9) and ml/kg/TBSA (3.5 ± 1.0 to 5.3 ± 2.0) at 24 h. Post-hoc adjustment using pairwise comparisons resulted in a loss of significance between most of the sites. There was a total of 156 resuscitation-related complications in 92 patients. Experienced burn centers using the BN successfully titrated resuscitation to adhere to 24 h goals. With fluid volumes near the Parkland formula prediction and a low prevalence of complications, the device can be utilized effectively in experienced centers. Further study should examine device utility in other facilities and on the battlefield.

Initial Results of the American Burn Association Observational Multicenter Evaluation on the Effectiveness of the Burn Navigator.

The objective of this multicenter observational study was to evaluate resuscitation volumes and outcomes of patients who underwent fluid resuscitation utilizing the Burn Navigator (BN), a resuscitation clinical decision support tool. Two analyses were performed: examination of the first 24 hours of resuscitation and the first 24 hours postburn regardless of when the resuscitation began, to account for patients who presented in a delayed fashion. Patients were classified as having followed the BN (FBN) if all hourly fluid rates were within ±20 ml of BN recommendations for that hour at least 83% of the time; otherwise, they were classified as not having followed BN (NFBN). Analysis of resuscitation volumes for FBN patients in the first 24 hours resulted in average volumes for primary crystalloid and total fluids administered of 4.07 ± 1.76 ml/kg/TBSA (151.48 ± 77.46 ml/kg) and 4.68 ± 2.06 ml/kg/TBSA (175.01 ± 92.22 ml/kg), respectively. Patients who presented in a delayed fashion revealed average volumes for primary and total fluids of 5.28 ± 2.54 ml/kg/TBSA (201.11 ± 106.53 ml/kg) and 6.35 ± 2.95 ml/kg/TBSA (244.08 ± 133.5 ml/kg), respectively. There was a significant decrease in the incidence of burn shock in the FBN group (P < .05). This study shows that the BN provides comparable resuscitation volumes of primary crystalloid fluid to the Parkland formula, recommends total fluid infusion less than the Ivy index, and was associated with a decreased incidence of burn shock. Early initiation of the BN device resulted in lower overall fluid volumes.

Improving Clinician Decisions and Communication in Critical Care Using Novel Information Technology.

INTRODUCTION: The electronic medical record (EMR) is presumed to support clinician decisions by documenting and retrieving patient information. Research shows that the EMR variably affects patient care and clinical decision making. The way information is presented likely has a significant impact on this variability. Well-designed representations of salient information can make a task easier by integrating information in useful patterns that clinicians use to make improved clinical judgments and decisions. Using Cognitive Systems Engineering methods, our research team developed a novel health information technology (NHIT) that interfaces with the EMR to display salient clinical information and enabled communication with a dedicated text-messaging feature. The software allows clinicians to customize displays according to their role and information needs. Here we present results of usability and validation assessments of the NHIT. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Our subjects were physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists, and physician trainees. Two arms of this study were conducted, a usability assessment and then a validation assessment. The usability assessment was a computer-based simulation using deceased patient data. After a brief five-minute orientation, the usability assessment measured individual clinician performance of typical tasks in two clinical scenarios using the NHIT. The clinical scenarios included patient admission to the unit and patient readiness for surgery. We evaluated clinician perspective about the NHIT after completing tasks using 7-point Likert scale surveys. In the usability assessment, the primary outcome was participant perceptions about the system's ease of use compared to the legacy system.A subsequent cross-over, validation assessment compared performance of two clinical teams during simulated care scenarios: one using only the legacy IT system and one using the NHIT in addition to the legacy IT system. We oriented both teams to the NHIT during a 1-hour session on the night before the first scenario. Scenarios were conducted using high-fidelity simulation in a real burn intensive care unit room. We used observations, task completion times, semi-structured interviews, and surveys to compare user decisions and perceptions about their performance. The primary outcome for the validation assessment was time to reach accurate (correct) decision points. RESULTS: During the usability assessment, clinicians were able to complete all tasks requested. Clinicians reported the NHIT was easier to use and the novel information display allowed for easier data interpretation compared to subject recollection of the legacy EMR.In the validation assessment, a more junior team of clinicians using the NHIT arrived at accurate diagnoses and decision points at similar times as a more experienced team. Both teams noted improved communication between team members when using the NHIT and overall rated the NHIT as easier to use than the legacy EMR, especially with respect to finding information. CONCLUSIONS: The primary findings of these assessments are that clinicians found the NHIT easy to use despite minimal training and experience and that it did not degrade clinician efficiency or decision-making accuracy. These findings are in contrast to common user experiences when introduced to new EMRs in clinical practice.

Quantifying the effects of wound healing risk and potential on clinical measurements and outcomes of severely burned patients: A data-driven approach.

INTRODUCTION: Given recent advances in computational power, the goal of this study was to quantify the effects of wound healing risk and potential on clinical measurements and outcomes of severely burned patients, with the hope of providing more insight on factors that affect wound healing. METHODS: This retrospective study involved patients who had at least 10% TBSA% "burned" and three burn mappings each. To model risk to wounds, we defined the variable θ, a hypothetical threshold for TBSA% "open wound" used to demarcate "low-risk" from "high-risk" patients. Low-risk patients denoted those patients whose actual TBSA% "open wound" ≤θ, whereas high-risk patients denoted those patients whose actual TBSA% "open wound" >θ. To consider all possibilities of risk, 100 sub analyses were performed by (1) varying θ from 100% to 1% in decrements of 1%, (2) grouping all patients as either "low-risk" or "high-risk" for each θ, and (3) comparing all means and deviations of variables and outcomes between the two groups for each θ. Hence, this study employed a data-driven approach to capture trends in clinical measurements and outcomes. Plots and tables were also obtained. RESULTS: For 303 patients, median age and weight were 43 [29-59] years and 85 [72-99]kg, respectively. Mean TBSA% "burned" was 25 [17-39] %, with a full-thickness burn of 4 [0-15] %. Average crystalloid volumes were 4.25±2.27mL/kg/TBSA% "burned" in the first 24h. Importantly, for high-risk patients, decreasing θ was matched by significant increases in PaO2-FiO2 ratio, platelet count, Glasgow coma score (GCS), and MAP. On the other hand, increasing their risk θ was also matched by significant increases in creatinine, bilirubin, lactate, blood, estimated blood loss, and 24-h and total fluid volumes. As expected, for low-risk patients, clinical measurements were more stable, despite decreasing or increasing θ. At a θ of 80%, statistical tests indicated much disparity between high-risk and low-risk patients for TBSA% "burned", full thickness burn, bilirubin (1.66±1.16mg/dL versus 0.83±0.65mg/dL, p=0.005), GCS (7±2 versus 12±3, p<0.001), MAP (42±22mm Hg versus 59±22mm Hg, p=0.004), 24-h blood, estimated blood loss, 24-h fluid, total fluid, and ICU length of stay (81±113 days versus 24±27 days, p=0.002). These differences were all statistically significant and remained significant down to θ=10%. CONCLUSION: Wound healing risk and potential may be forecasted by many different clinical measurements and outcomes and has many implications on multi-organ function. Future work will be needed to further explain and understand these effects, in order to facilitate development of new predictive models for wound healing.

Relationship Between Burn Wound Location and Outcomes in Severely Burned Patients: More Than Meets the Size.

We hypothesized that burn location plays an important role in wound healing, mortality, and other outcomes and conducted the following study to test this multifold hypothesis. We conducted a study to retrospectively look at patients with burns ≥10% TBSA. Demographics, TBSA, partial/full thickness burns (PT/FT) in various wound locations, fluids, inhalation injury, mortality, ICU duration, and hospital duration were considered. Initial wound healing rates (%/d) were also calculated as a slope from the time of the first mapping of open wound size to the time of the third mapping of open wound size. Multivariate logistic regression and operating curves were used to measure mortality prediction performance. All values were expressed as median [interquartile range]. The mortality rate for 318 patients was 17% (54/318). In general, patients were 43 years [29, 58 years] old and had a TBSA of 25% [17, 39%], PT of 16% [10, 25%], and FT of 4% [0, 15%]. Between patients who lived and did not, age, TBSA, FT, 24-hour fluid, and ICU duration were statistically different (P < .001). Furthermore, there were statistically significant differences in FT head (0% [0, 0%] vs 0% [0, 1%], P = .048); FT anterior torso (0% [0, 1%] vs 1% [0, 4%], P < .001); FT posterior torso (0% [0, 0%] vs 0% [0, 4%], P < 0.001); FT upper extremities (0% [0, 3%] vs 2% [0, 11%], P < .001); FT lower extremities (0% [0, 2%] vs 6% [0, 17%], P < .001); and FT genitalia (0% [0, 0%] vs 0% [0, 2%], P < .001). Age, presence of inhalation injury, PT/FT upper extremities, and FT lower extremities were independent mortality predictors and per unit increases of these variables were associated with an increased risk for mortality (P < .05): odds ratio of 1.09 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.61-1.13; P < .001) for mean age; 2.69 (95% CI = 1.04-6.93; P = .041) for inhalation injury; 1.14 (95% CI = 1.01-1.27; P = .031) for mean PT upper extremities; 1.26 (95% CI = 1.11-1.42; P < .001) for mean FT upper extremities; and 1.07 (95% CI = 1.01-1.12; P = .012) for mean FT lower extremities. Prediction of mortality was better using specific wound locations (area under the curve [AUC], AUC of 0.896) rather than using TBSA and FT (AUC of 0.873). Graphs revealed that initial healing rates were statistically lower and 24-hour fluids and ICU length of stay were statistically higher in patients with FT upper extremities than in patients without FT extremities (P < .001). Burn wound location affects wound healing and helps predict mortality and ICU length of stay and should be incorporated into burn triage strategies to enhance resource allocation or stratify wound care.

Burn Casualty Care in the Deployed Setting.

Management of wartime burn casualties can be very challenging. Burns frequently occur in the setting of other blunt and penetrating injuries. This clinical practice guideline provides a manual for burn injury assessment, resuscitation, wound care, and specific scenarios including chemical and electrical injuries in the deployed or austere setting. The clinical practice guideline also reviews considerations for the definitive care of local national patients, including pediatric patients, who are unable to be evacuated from theater. Medical providers are encouraged to contact the US Army Institute of Surgical Research (USAISR) Burn Center when caring for a burn casualty in the deployed setting.

Predicting the Ability of Wounds to Heal Given Any Burn Size and Fluid Volume: An Analytical Approach.

The intrinsic relationship between fluid volume and open wound size (%) has not been previously examined. Therefore, we conducted this study to investigate whether open wound size can be predicted from fluid volume plus other significant factors over time and to evaluate how machine learning may perform in predicting open wound size. This retrospective study involved patients with at least 20% TBSA burned. Various predictive models were developed and compared using goodness-of-fit statistics (R2, error [mean absolute error (MAE), root mean squared error (RMSE)]). Bland-Altman analysis was also performed to determine bias. A total of 121 patients were included in the analysis. Median TBSA burned was 31% (interquartile range: 26-46%). Average crystalloid volumes were 4.0 ± 2.7 ml/kg/TBSA in the first 24 hours. There were 24 (20%) patients who died. Importantly, multivariate analysis identified seven independent predictors of open wound size. Also, machine learning analysis was able to stratify patients based on the 20th day after admission, ~40% TBSA burned, and fluid volumes. Models for predicting open wound size varied in performance (R2 = .79-.90, MAE = 3.97-7.52, RMSE = 7.11-10.69). Notably, a combined machine learning model using only four features (fluid volume, days since admission, TBSA burned, age) performed the best and was sufficient to predict open wound size, with >90% goodness of fit and <4% absolute error. Bland-Altman analysis showed that there were no biases in the models. Open wound size can be predicted reliably using machine learning and fluid volume, days since admission, TBSA burned, and age. Future work will be needed to validate the utility of this study's models in a clinical environment.

Trend Analysis of Current Modalities for Monitoring Fluid Therapy in Patients With Large Burns: Echoing the Call for Better Resuscitation Indices.

The aim of this study was to investigate whether current standards at our institution have effectively monitored resuscitations of severely burned patients during the first 48 hours postburn. Demographics, injuries assessed by TBSA and full thickness (FT), and resuscitation volumes (lactated Ringer's [LR]) were compared for all patients and those who died or survived. Means and standard deviations of hourly indices (urinary output [UOP], lactate [LAC], base excess [BE]) vs LR were analyzed. Waveforms, four-quadrant concordance, and correlation were also employed to compare the trending abilities (hourly changes [∆]) of aforementioned variables vs LR. A total of 203 patients were included in the analysis. Of these patients, 71 (35%) died, and 50 (25%) had inhalation injuries. Mean age and weight were 47 ± 19 years and 87 ± 18 kg, respectively. Mean TBSA burned was 41 ± 20%, with a mean FT of 18 ± 24%. Importantly, normalized waveform plots demonstrated the inability of UO, LAC, and BE to follow hourly changes in LR. Correlation of these variables was weak (r>>-1). This was confirmed by concordance plots. Slopes in all groups demonstrated that UOP was a better resuscitative monitor than LAC or BE. ∆UOP responded to ∆LR better in patients who survived than died. Reliance on hourly UOP as the sole index of optimal resuscitation is not supported. This study echoed the call for better resuscitation indices.

Bridging burn care education with modern technology, an integration with high fidelity human patient simulation.

OBJECTIVE: The Advanced Burn Life Support (ABLS) program is a burn-education curriculum nearly 30 years in the making, focusing on the unique challenges of the first 24h of care after burn injury. Our team applied high fidelity human patient simulation (HFHPS) to the established ABLS curriculum. Our hypothesis was that HFHPS would be a feasible, easily replicable, and valuable adjunct to the current curriculum that would enhance learner experience. METHODS: This prospective, evidenced-based practice project was conducted in a single simulation center employing the American Burn Association's ABLS curriculum using HFHPS. Participants managed 7 separate simulated polytrauma and burn scenarios with resultant clinical complications. After training, participants completed written and practical examinations as well as satisfaction surveys. RESULTS: From 2012 to 2013, 71 students participated in this training. Simulation (ABLS-Sim) participants demonstrated a 2.5% increase in written post-test scores compared to traditional ABLS Provider Course (ABLS Live) (p=0.0016). There was no difference in the practical examination when comparing ABLS-Sim versus ABLS Live. Subjectively, 60 (85%) participants completed surveys. The Educational Practice Questionnaire showed best practices rating of 4.5±0.7; with importance of learning rated at 4.4±0.8. The Simulation Design Scale rating for design was 4.6±0.6 with an importance rating of 4.4±0.8. Overall Satisfaction and Self-Confidence with Learning were 4.4±0.7 and 4.5±0.7, respectfully. CONCLUSIONS: Integrating HFHPS with the current ABLS curriculum led to higher written exam scores, high levels of confidence, satisfaction, and active learning, and presented an evidenced-based model for education that is easily employable for other facilities nationwide.

Follow-Up Evaluation of the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research Burn Flow Sheet for En Route Care Documentation of Burned Combat Casualties.

INTRODUCTION: In 2006, burn clinical practice guidelines were developed to provide recommendations for optimal care of U.S. military and local national burn casualties. As part of that effort, a paper-based Burn Flow Sheet (BFS) was included to document the burn resuscitation of combat casualties with ≥20% total body surface area burns. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the BFS in terms of ongoing utilization, resuscitation management, and outcomes of patients transported. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective review was performed of hard-copy BFSs received from January 2007 to December 2013. En route injury and treatment data from these flowsheets were manually transcribed into the research database. Outcomes and complications of BFS subjects were extracted from the Burn Center Registry and added to the research database. RESULTS: A total of 73 BFSs were collected from the study period. On average, BFSs were 61 ± 30% complete with a total of 14.7 ± 7 hours documented per patient in the first 24-hours postburn. Patients received nearly 7 L more fluid than estimated by traditional formulas. Sixteen patients (26%) received greater than 250 mL/kg of fluid, half of whom had concomitant traumatic injuries. Fifteen patients received a fasciotomy (21%), 4 received a laparotomy (5%), and 8 (11%) received both. No patients developed abdominal compartment syndrome associated with fluid resuscitation. Overall mortality was 21%. CONCLUSIONS: Although the majority of providers did initiate a BFS, it was not always used as intended; problems included missing data and miscalculations. Although there was a clear improvement with decline in the incidence of abdominal compartment syndrome, mortality did not change for severely burned patients. Simplification of the recommendations, additional built-in prompts, and automated tools such as computerized decision support software may help standardize practice and improve outcomes.

The impact of patient weight on burn resuscitation.

BACKGROUND: Optimal fluid resuscitation of burn patients with burns greater than 20% total body surface area is critical to prevent burn shock during the initial 24 hours to 48 hours postburn. Currently, most resuscitation formulas incorporate the patient's weight when estimating 24-hour fluid requirements. The objective of this study was to determine the impact of weight on fluid resuscitation requirements and outcomes during the initial 24 hours after admission. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of patients admitted to our burn intensive care unit from December 2007 to April 2013, resuscitated with a computerized decision support system. We classified patients into body mass index (BMI) categories of underweight (BMI: <18.5), normal (BMI: 18.5-24.9), overweight (BMI: 25.0-29.9), or obese (BMI: >30.0). We also calculated the percent difference from ideal body weight (IBW) and compared 24-hour fluid volumes received. RESULTS: Patients with missing weight and/or height values were excluded from the study, resulting in a final cohort of 161 patients for analysis. Mean total body surface area was 42 ± 20% with a full thickness burn of 18 ± 23%. Mean age, weight, and height were 47 ± 19 years, 83 ± 19 kg, and 68 ± 4 inches, respectively. IBW for this cohort was 68 ± 11 kg with a BMI of 28 ± 6. Univariate analysis showed significant differences in 24-hour resuscitation volumes (mL/kg) between normal and obese patients (p < 0.05). Further analysis revealed that increasing percent difference from IBW was associated with lower fluid volumes. Although obesity was not associated with inhalation injury or renal replacement therapy, it was correlated to an increased risk for mortality (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: This analysis showed that increasing weight was associated with lower fluid resuscitation volume requirements and a higher mortality rate, despite the low incidence of inhalation injury and renal replacement therapy in our obese patients. The use of actual body weight to drive resuscitation volumes may result in overresuscitation of obese patients, depending on the resuscitation formula. Further studies are needed to better explain the relationship between mortality and obesity in burn patients. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic/care management, level IV.

Burn Shock and Resuscitation: Proceedings of a Symposium Conducted at the Meeting of the American Burn Association, Chicago, IL, 21 April 2015.

The Special Interest Groups of the American Burn Association provide a forum for interested members of the multidisciplinary burn team to congregate and discuss matters of mutual interest. At the 47th Annual Meeting of the American Burn Association in Chicago, IL, the Fluid Resuscitation Special Interest Group sponsored a special symposium on burn resuscitation. The purpose of the symposium was to review the history, current status, and future direction of fluid resuscitation of patients with burn shock. The reader will note several themes running through the following presentations. One is the perennial question of the proper role for albumin or other fluid-sparing strategies. Another is the unique characteristics of the pediatric burn patient. A third is the need for multicenter trials of burn resuscitation, while recognizing the obstacles to conducting randomized controlled trials in this setting.

Predicting the proportion of full-thickness involvement for any given burn size based on burn resuscitation volumes.

INTRODUCTION: The depth of burn has been an important factor often overlooked when estimating the total resuscitation fluid needed for early burn care. The goal of this study was to determine the degree to which full-thickness (FT) involvement affected overall 24-hour burn resuscitation volumes. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of patients admitted to our burn intensive care unit from December 2007 to April 2013, with significant burns that required resuscitation using our computerized decision support system for burn fluid resuscitation. We defined the degree of FT involvement as FT Index (FTI; percentage of FT injury/percentage of total body surface area (TBSA) burned [%FT / %TBSA]) and compared variables on actual 24-hour fluid resuscitation volumes overall as well as for any given burn size. RESULTS: A total of 203 patients admitted to our burn center during the study period were included in the analysis. Mean age and weight were 47 ± 19 years and 87 ± 18 kg, respectively. Mean %TBSA was 41 ± 20 with a mean %FT of 18 ± 24. As %TBSA, %FT, and FTI increased, so did actual 24-hour fluid resuscitation volumes (mL/kg). However, increase in FTI did not result in increased volume indexed to burn size (mL/kg per %TBSA). This was true even when patients with inhalation injury were excluded. Further investigation revealed that as %TBSA increased, %FT increased nonlinearly (quadratic polynomial) (R = 0.994). CONCLUSION: Total burn size and FT burn size were both highly correlated with increased 24-hour fluid resuscitation volumes. However, FTI did not correlate with a corresponding increase in resuscitation volumes for any given burn size, even when patients with inhalation injury were excluded. Thus, there are insufficient data to presume that those who receive more volume at any given burn size are likely to be mostly full thickness or vice versa. This was influenced by a relatively low sample size at each 10%TBSA increment and larger burn sizes disproportionately having more FT burns. A more robust sample size may elucidate this relationship better. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic/care management study, level IV.

Wound healing trajectories in burn patients and their impact on mortality.

The rate of wound healing and its effect on mortality has not been well described. The objective of this article is to report wound healing trajectories in burn patients and analyze their effects on in-hospital mortality. The authors used software (WoundFlow) to depict burn wounds, surgical results, and healing progression at multiple time points throughout admission. Data for all patients admitted to the intensive care unit with ≥ 20% TBSA burned were collected retrospectively. The open wound size (OWS), which includes both unhealed burns and unhealed donor sites, was measured. We calculated the rate of wound closure (healing rate), which we defined as the change in OWS/time. We also determined the time delay (DAYS) from day of burn until day on which there was a reduction in OWS < 10%. Data are medians [interquartile range]. There were 38 patients with complete data; 25 had documentation of successful healing (H), and 13 did not (NH). H differed from NH on age (38 years [32-57] vs 63 [51-74]), body mass index (27 [21-28] vs 32 [19-52]), 24-hour fluid resuscitation (12 L [10-16] vs 18 [15-20]), pressors during first 48 hours (72% vs 100%), use of renal replacement therapy (32% vs 92%), and mortality (4% vs 100%). Repeated measures analysis of covariance showed a significant difference between survivors and nonsurvivors on OWS as a function of time (P<.001). Patients with a positive healing rate (+2%/day) after postburn day 20 had 100% survival whereas those with a negative healing rate (-2%/day) had 100% mortality. For H patients, median DAYS was 41 (28-54); median DAYS/TBSA was 1.3 (1.0-1.9). Survivors had a 0.62% drop in OWS/day, or 4.3%/week. In this cohort of patients with ≥ 20% TBSA, there was a difference in mortality after postburn day 20, between patients with a positive healing rate (+2%/day, 100% survival) and those with a negative healing rate (-2%/day, 100% mortality, P < .05).

Automated inhaled nitric oxide alerts for adult extracorporeal membrane oxygenation patient identification.

BACKGROUND: Recently, automated alerts have been used to identify patients with respiratory failure based on set criteria, which can be gleaned from the electronic medical record (EMR). Such an approach may also be useful for identifying patients with severe adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) who may benefit from extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). Inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) is a common rescue therapy for severe ARDS which can be easily tracked in the EMR, and some patients started on iNO may have indications for initiating ECMO. This case series summarizes our experience with using automated electronic alerts for ECMO team activation focused particularly on an alert triggered by the initiation of iNO. METHODS: After a brief trial evaluation, our Smart Alert system generated an automated page and e-mail alert to ECMO team members whenever a nonzero value for iNO appeared in the respiratory care section of our EMR. If iNO was initiated for severe respiratory failure, a detailed evaluation by the ECMO team determined if ECMO was indicated. For those patients managed with ECMO, we tabulated baseline characteristics, indication for ECMO, and outcomes. RESULTS: From September 2012 to July 2013, 45 iNO alerts were generated on 42 unique patients. Six patients (14%) met criteria for ECMO. Of these, four were identified exclusively by the iNO alert. At the time of the alert, the median PaO2-to-FIO2 ratio was 64 mm Hg (range, 55-107 mm Hg), the median age-adjusted oxygenation index was 73 (range, 51-96), and the median Murray score was 3.4 (range, 3-3.75), indicating severe respiratory failure. Median time from iNO alert to ECMO initiation was 81 hours (range, -2-292 hours). Survival to hospital discharge was 83% in those managed with ECMO. CONCLUSION: Automated alerts may be useful for identifying patients with severe ARDS who may be ECMO candidates. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Diagnostic test, level V.

Clinician satisfaction with computer decision support in the intensive care unit.

The purpose of this study was to determine baseline user satisfaction for 2 computer decision support systems (DSSs) with demonstrated improvement in patient outcome used in a burn intensive care unit. We conducted a survey of staff members of a 16-bed burn intensive care unit (n = 82) using a written, anonymous questionnaire to determine satisfaction for 2 DSSs: a commercial glycemic management system and software program to guide initial burn fluid resuscitation. Staff members are not yet convinced of a positive correlation between DSS technology and patient outcomes. We suggest user satisfaction may be generally improved for DSS with concentration in the areas of interface, information, and communication.