Developing an instrument to assess physician knowledge of initial care for burn patients.

INTRODUCTION: Burns are associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality, especially in low- and middle-income countries, such as Brazil, because there are no routine prevention programs, a lack of adequate legislation and supervision, and care quality in the acute phase is precarious. In most cases, initial care for burn patients is provided by emergency services without specialized personnel, which leaves the majority of cases to general practitioners who have no specific training in initial burn care, which can lead to worse prognoses and outcomes. OBJECTIVE: To develop an instrument to assess physician knowledge of initial care for burn patients. METHODS: This primary quantitative study used the Delphi technique, which involves consensus from a panel of expert panel, as a methodological reference. The instrument was based on information provided in the Ministry of Health's booklet on emergency burn treatment, and an agreement index of 80% was required for item inclusion. RESULTS: After 3 Delphi phases, the instrument was approved by the panel with an agreement index of 100%. CONCLUSION: Although the instrument was finalized, other psychometric properties must still be assessed to further determine its validity and reliability.

Epidemiologia de queimaduras na face em pacientes internados em hospital de referência em queimados / Epidemiology of facial burns in patients admitted to a burn referral hospital

OBJETIVO: Este estudo tem como objetivo descrever o perfil epidemiológico de pacientes vítimas de queimaduras da face em um unidade de referência em atendimento em queimaduras. MÉTODO: O trabalho consiste no estudo de dados observacional, descritivo, retrospectivo, de uma população de 92 pacientes vítimas de queimaduras na região da face, internados em hospital de referência em atendimento a pacientes vítimas de queimaduras, no período de 2 anos, entre julho de 2015 e junho de 2017. Foram analisados dados como: idade, sexo, agente etiológico, áreas de superfície corporal queimada, profundidade da queimadura, regiões do corpo acometidas pela queimadura, óbito, queimaduras de vias inalatórias, tempo de internação em unidade de terapia intensiva de queimados e tempo de internação hospitalar. Os dados foram tabulados e descritos no texto. RESULTADOS: Dos 92 pacientes atendidos, a maioria (61,95%) foi do sexo masculino, havendo quatro óbitos, dos quais três apresentavam lesão inalatória, com período de maior prevalência no outono. Tempo de internação médio foi de 20,5 dias, sendo o agente mais comum o álcool, atingindo, em média, 13%, a maioria com queimadura profunda. CONCLUSÃO: Os pacientes vítimas de queimaduras em face são em sua maioria do sexo masculino, com agente etiológico álcool, com média de queimadura profunda de 13%, estando o óbito relacionado com associação de lesão de vias aéreas. Ações de prevenção podem ajudar a diminuir a incidência de acidentes na população observada.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to describe the epidemiological profile of patients victims of facial burns in a referral unit in care for burns. METHODS: The work consists of the study of observational, descriptive, retrospective data from a population of 92 patients suffering from burns in the face region, admitted to a reference hospital in care of burn victims, in a period of 2 years, between July 2015 and June 2017. Data such as: age, sex, etiological agent, burnt body surface areas, burn depth, body regions affected by the burn, death, inhaled tract burns, length of stay in the therapy unit were analyzed intensive care unit for burns and length of hospital stay. Data were tabulated and described in the text. RESULTS: Of the 92 patients, the majority (61.95%) were male, with four deaths, three of which had inhalation injury, with a period of greatest prevalence in autumn. Average hospital stay was 20.5 days, the most common agent being alcohol, reaching an average of 13%, with the majority with deep burns. CONCLUSION: Patients suffering from facial burns are mostly male, with alcohol as the etiologic agent, with an average deep burn of 13%, and death is related to an association with airway injury. Prevention actions can help to reduce the incidence of accidents in the observed population.

Fat Grafting for Treatment of Facial Burns and Burn Scars.

This article presents the authors' experience with the use of fat grafting via the Coleman technique, for the adjuvant treatment of facial burn wounds and their sequelae. It demonstrates the regenerative effects of fat injected under the wound and/or the scar as well as of fat delivered to the debrided surface of the wound and to the surface of the scar after laser treatment or microneedling.

Validation of the Perceived Stigmatization Questionnaire for Brazilian adult burn patients.

Currently, there is no questionnaire to assess perceived stigmatization among people with visible differences in Brazil. The Perceived Stigmatization Questionnaire (PSQ), developed in the United States, is a valid instrument to assess the perception of stigmatizing behaviours among burn survivors. The objective of this cross-sectional and multicentre study was to assess the factor structure, reliability and validity of the Brazilian Portuguese version of the PSQ in burn patients. A Brazilian version of the 21-item PSQ was answered by 240 adult burn patients, undergoing rehabilitation in two burns units in Brazil. We tested its construct validity by correlating PSQ scores with depression (Beck Depression Index-BDI) and self-esteem (Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale-RSE), as well as with two domains of the Revised Burn Specific Health Scale-BSHS-R: affect and body image, and interpersonal relationships. We used Confirmatory Item Factor Analysis (CIFA) to test whether the data fit a measurement model involving a three-factor structure (absence of friendly behaviour; confusing/staring behaviour; and hostile behaviour). We conducted Exploratory Factor Analyses (EFA) of the subscale in a 50% random sample of individuals (training split), treating items as ordinal categorical using unweighted least squares estimation. To assess discriminant validity of the Brazilian version of the PSQ we correlated PSQ scores with known groups (sex, total body surface area burned, and visibility of the scars) and assessed its reliability by means of Cronbach's alpha and using test-retest. Goodness-of-fit indices for confirmatory factor analysis were satisfactory for the PSQ, but not for the hostile behaviour subscale, which was modified to improve fit by eliminating 3 items. Cronbach's alphas for the PSQ refined version (PSQ-R) ranged from 0.65 to 0.88, with test-retest reliability 0.87 for the total score. The PSQ-R scores correlated strongly with depression (0.63; p < 0.001), self-esteem (-0.57; p < 0.001), body image (-0.63; p < 0.001), and interpersonal relationships (-0.55; p < 0.001). PSQ-R total scores were significantly lower for patients with visible scars (effect size = 0.51, p = 0.029). The PSQ-R showed reliability and validity comparable to the original version. However, the cross-cultural structure of the subscale "hostile behaviour" and sensitivity to change of the PSQ should be further evaluated.

Body Dysmorphic Symptoms Scale for patients seeking esthetic surgery: cross-cultural validation study / Escala de Sintomas da Dismorfia Corporal para pacientes que buscam a cirurgia plástica: estudo de validação cultural

ABSTRACT: CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: Rhinoplasty is one of the most sought-after esthetic operations among individuals with body dysmorphic disorder. The aim of this study was to cross-culturally adapt and validate the Body Dysmorphic Symptoms Scale. DESIGN AND SETTING: Cross-cultural validation study conducted in a plastic surgery outpatient clinic of a public university hospital. METHODS: Between February 2014 and March 2015, 80 consecutive patients of both sexes seeking rhinoplasty were selected. Thirty of them participated in the phase of cultural adaptation of the instrument. Reproducibility was tested on 20 patients and construct validity was assessed on 50 patients, with correlation against the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale for Body Dysmorphic Disorder. RESULTS: The Brazilian version of the instrument showed Cronbach's alpha of 0.805 and excellent inter-rater reproducibility (intraclass correlation coefficient, ICC = 0.873; P < 0.001) and intra-rater reproducibility (ICC = 0.939; P < 0.001). Significant differences in total scores were found between patients with and without symptoms (P < 0.001). A strong correlation (r = 0.841; P < 0.001) was observed between the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale for Body Dysmorphic Disorder and the Body Dysmorphic Symptoms Scale. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.981, thus showing good accuracy for discriminating between presence and absence of symptoms of body dysmorphic disorder. Forty-six percent of the patients had body dysmorphic symptoms and 54% had moderate to severe appearance-related obsessive-compulsive symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: The Brazilian version of the Body Dysmorphic Symptoms Scale is a reproducible instrument that presents face, content and construct validity.

RESUMO CONTEXTO E OBJETIVO: Rinoplastia é uma das operações mais procuradas por indivíduos com o transtorno dismórfico corporal. O objetivo deste estudo foi adaptar culturalmente e validar a Body Dysmorphic Symptoms Scale. DESENHO E LOCAL: Estudo de validação cultural desenvolvido no ambulatório de cirurgia plástica de um hospital universitário público. MÉTODOS: Oitenta pacientes consecutivos de ambos os gêneros que desejavam submeter-se à rinoplastia foram selecionados entre fevereiro de 2014 e março de 2015. Trinta pacientes participaram da fase de adaptação cultural do instrumento. A reprodutibilidade foi testada em 20 pacientes e a validade de construto em 50 pacientes, correlacionando-se a escala com a Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale para transtorno dismórfico corporal. RESULTADOS: A versão brasileira do instrumento mostrou alfa de Cronbach de 0,805 e excelente reprodutibilidade interobservador (coeficiente de correlação intraclasse, CCI = 0,873; P < 0,001) e intraobservador (CCI = 0,939; P < 0,001). Houve diferença significante entre os escores totais de pacientes com e sem sintomas (P < 0,001). Observou-se forte correlação (r = 0,841; P < 0,001) entre a Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale para transtorno dismórfico corporal e a Body Dysmorphic Symptoms Scale. A área sob a curva característica de operação do receptor (ROC) foi de 0,981, revelando boa acurácia para discriminar a presença de sintomas para transtorno dismórfico corporal; 46% dos pacientes apresentaram sintomas do transtorno dismórfico corporal e 54% dos pacientes apresentaram sintomas obsessivo-compulsivos moderados a graves relacionados com a aparência. CONCLUSÃO: A versão brasileira da Body Dysmorphic Symptoms Scale é um instrumento reprodutível que apresenta validade de face, conteúdo e construto.

Body Dysmorphic Symptoms Scale for patients seeking esthetic surgery: cross-cultural validation study.

CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: Rhinoplasty is one of the most sought-after esthetic operations among individuals with body dysmorphic disorder. The aim of this study was to cross-culturally adapt and validate the Body Dysmorphic Symptoms Scale. DESIGN AND SETTING: Cross-cultural validation study conducted in a plastic surgery outpatient clinic of a public university hospital. METHODS: Between February 2014 and March 2015, 80 consecutive patients of both sexes seeking rhinoplasty were selected. Thirty of them participated in the phase of cultural adaptation of the instrument. Reproducibility was tested on 20 patients and construct validity was assessed on 50 patients, with correlation against the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale for Body Dysmorphic Disorder. RESULTS: The Brazilian version of the instrument showed Cronbach's alpha of 0.805 and excellent inter-rater reproducibility (intraclass correlation coefficient, ICC = 0.873; P < 0.001) and intra-rater reproducibility (ICC = 0.939; P < 0.001). Significant differences in total scores were found between patients with and without symptoms (P < 0.001). A strong correlation (r = 0.841; P < 0.001) was observed between the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale for Body Dysmorphic Disorder and the Body Dysmorphic Symptoms Scale. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.981, thus showing good accuracy for discriminating between presence and absence of symptoms of body dysmorphic disorder. Forty-six percent of the patients had body dysmorphic symptoms and 54% had moderate to severe appearance-related obsessive-compulsive symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: The Brazilian version of the Body Dysmorphic Symptoms Scale is a reproducible instrument that presents face, content and construct validity.

Body Dysmorphic Symptoms Scale for patients seeking esthetic surgery: cross-cultural validation study.

CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE:: Rhinoplasty is one of the most sought-after esthetic operations among individuals with body dysmorphic disorder. The aim of this study was to cross-culturally adapt and validate the Body Dysmorphic Symptoms Scale. DESIGN AND SETTING:: Cross-cultural validation study conducted in a plastic surgery outpatient clinic of a public university hospital. METHODS:: Between February 2014 and March 2015, 80 consecutive patients of both sexes seeking rhinoplasty were selected. Thirty of them participated in the phase of cultural adaptation of the instrument. Reproducibility was tested on 20 patients and construct validity was assessed on 50 patients, with correlation against the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale for Body Dysmorphic Disorder. RESULTS:: The Brazilian version of the instrument showed Cronbach's alpha of 0.805 and excellent inter-rater reproducibility (intraclass correlation coefficient, ICC = 0.873; P < 0.001) and intra-rater reproducibility (ICC = 0.939; P < 0.001). Significant differences in total scores were found between patients with and without symptoms (P < 0.001). A strong correlation (r = 0.841; P < 0.001) was observed between the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale for Body Dysmorphic Disorder and the Body Dysmorphic Symptoms Scale. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.981, thus showing good accuracy for discriminating between presence and absence of symptoms of body dysmorphic disorder. Forty-six percent of the patients had body dysmorphic symptoms and 54% had moderate to severe appearance-related obsessive-compulsive symptoms. CONCLUSIONS:: The Brazilian version of the Body Dysmorphic Symptoms Scale is a reproducible instrument that presents face, content and construct validity.

Validation of the Brazilian version of the Burn Specific Health Scale-Brief (BSHS-B-Br).

INTRODUCTION: Progressive increases in survival rates from burn trauma have shifted attention to patient rehabilitation and posttraumatic quality of life. The assessment of quality of life is strongly dependent on reliable instruments for its measurement. A literature review has revealed that the Burn Specific Health Scale-Brief (BSHS-B) questionnaire is the most commonly used instrument worldwide. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to translate the BSHS-B into the Portuguese language, adapt it culturally to the Brazilian population, and test its psychometric properties. METHODS: The questionnaire was translated into Portuguese; culturally adapted; and tested for reproducibility, face validity, content validity, and construct validity. The translated version was tested on 92 patients with burns. Internal consistency was tested by means of Cronbach's alpha. Construct validity was performed by correlating the BSHS-B questionnaire with the Burn Specific Health Scale-Revised (BSHS-R), BurnSexQ-Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM)/Universidade Federal De São Paulo (UNIFESP), the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). RESULTS: Cronbach's alpha was 0.85. The Pearson correlation coefficients were significant at three time points of the reliability analysis. A significant correlation was observed between BSHS-B domains and BSHS-R, and between RSES and BDI domains. A significant correlation was also observed between BSHS-B and the BurnSexQ-EPM/UNIFESP social comfort and body image domains. CONCLUSION: The BSHS-B questionnaire was translated into Portuguese. It is a reliable tool in this language, showing face, content, and construct validity. The modified instrument has been named BSHS-B-Br.

Fat grafting for treatment of burns, burn scars, and other difficult wounds.

This article presents the authors' 3-year experience with the use of fat grafting, via the Coleman technique, for the adjuvant treatment of burn wounds, venous ulcers, diabetic ulcers, and burn scars. It demonstrates the regenerative effects of fat injected under the scar, and of fat injected under the wound, in the periphery of the wound, and within a bone fracture line or space, and of fat deposited over the wound.

Oxandrolone use in adult burn patients. Systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: This study is a systematic literature review and meta-analysis concerning the use of a testosterone synthetic analog, oxandrolone, and its use in severe adult burns. METHODS: Randomized prospective clinical studies, in English, Portuguese or Spanish, were sought on the following databases: MEDLINE, COCHRANE, EMBASE and LILACS. There was no restriction in relation to the publication date. RESULTS: This search produced 24 studies on MEDLINE and twelve articles were presented on the COCHRANE database .Sixteen were excluded due to the title not being related to this search or by including children. Of the eigth residual studies, after adaptation to the inclusion criteria, only four were selected. After analyzing the results, two were discarded since they did not present adequate patient characterization and the facts on these articles were analyzed differently from the others, hindering the meta-analysis. CONCLUSION: The analysis of the available data demonstrated significant benefits (p<0.05) considering lesser loss of corporal mass, lesser nitrogen loss, and shorter donor area healing time, when Oxandrolone was used, comparatively with the control group (placebo or not).

Oxandrolone use in adult burn patients. Systematic review and meta-analysis

PURPOSE: This study is a systematic literature review and meta-analysis concerning the use of a testosterone synthetic analog, oxandrolone, and its use in severe adult burns. METHODS: Randomized prospective clinical studies, in English, Portuguese or Spanish, were sought on the following databases: MEDLINE, COCHRANE, EMBASE and LILACS. There was no restriction in relation to the publication date. RESULTS: This search produced 24 studies on MEDLINE and twelve articles were presented on the COCHRANE database .Sixteen were excluded due to the title not being related to this search or by including children. Of the eigth residual studies, after adaptation to the inclusion criteria, only four were selected. After analyzing the results, two were discarded since they did not present adequate patient characterization and the facts on these articles were analyzed differently from the others, hindering the meta-analysis. CONCLUSION: The analysis of the available data demonstrated significant benefits (p<0.05) considering lesser loss of corporal mass, lesser nitrogen loss, and shorter donor area healing time, when Oxandrolone was used, comparatively with the control group (placebo or not). .

Burn Sexuality Questionnaire: Brazilian translation, validation and cultural adaptation.

In measuring the quality of life of burn victims, it is essential that we find reliable and valid means. The Burn Sexuality Questionnaire (BSQ) is a specific instrument that assesses sexuality in the context of quality of life of burn victims. We set out to translate, validate and culturally adapt the BSQ into Brazilian Portuguese. The Portuguese version was applied to 80 patients. After translation, cultural adaptation was performed with 30 patients. We also tested the final version for reliability in 20 patients, and for face, content and construct validities in 30 patients, according to standard procedures. Total Cronbach's alpha was 0.87. Pearson's correlation was significant between scores for different time points. Construct validity was demonstrated with the correlation of the BSQ with the Burn Specific Health Scale-Revised (BSHS-R) questionnaire. It showed significant correlation between the BSQ social comfort domain and the BSHS-R affect and body image (p=0.025), simple function ability (p=0.008), work (p=0.016) and treatment (p=0.037) domains. This cultural adaptation of the BSQ suggests that it is a reliable tool and has construct validity for the social comfort domain. There is still need for a better-structured tool that could possibly evaluate functional and psychological aspects of sexuality, because one could easily overlook the psychosocial aspects of patients with major, complex burns.

Sexuality after burn in Brazil: survey of burn health-care workers.

Patients who survive a major burn must live with emotional and physical sequela. In a literature review, we found that sexuality concerns of burn victims are rarely a focus of therapy. After suggestions from Rimmer et al. [12], using their questionnaire translated into Portuguese, we held a survey of burn-care professionals at the VII Brazilian Burn Congress. More than 120 practitioners from 41 centres, aged in average 41.2 years (1 standard deviation 10.96), completed the survey. A proportion of 63.7% were female, and 58.1% were Caucasians; 37.1% were physicians, 20.9% nurse practitioners and 16.9 were occupational therapists/physical therapists (OTs/PT)s. Psychologists made up 3.2%. Only 28% of the respondents felt comfortable in initiating a conversation about sexual intimacy with their patients. The vast majority believed it should be done by the psychologist. Only 38% felt their burn centre did an adequate job in that area. When compared with a study of our country's general population, we find similar results indicating that intimacy, sexuality and sexual intercourse are considered most important in a relationship. There is a significant lack of literature in sexuality after burn; most likely meaning it is ignored by most centres. There is a need for other similar surveys to be performed, as well as a collective consciousness of the need for discussions about sexuality with patients and their partners, providing counselling and treatment, when need.