Acute burns during the COVID-19 pandemic: A one-year retrospective study of 611 patients at a referral burn centre in northern Iran.

Patients with acute burns are more vulnerable to COVID-19 because of physiologically weak immune systems. This study aimed to assess and compare individual characteristics, clinical features, and clinical outcomes of acute burn among COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients. A retrospective study, with data collected from 611 acute burn patients with or without a COVID-19 diagnosis referred to a burn centre in Iran. Data were collected from April 2020 to 2021. The mean age of acute burns patients with COVID-19 was higher compared with acute burns patients with non-COVID-19 (47.82 vs. 32.59 years, P < .001). Acute burns occurred more frequently in COVID-19 patients with comorbidities compared with non-COVID-19 patients (48.72% vs. 26.92%, P = .003). 58.97% of COVID-19 patients and 55.42% of non-COVID-19 patients had grade II & III and II burns, respectively (P < .001). The mean total body surface area of the burn was higher in COVID-19 patients compared with non-COVID-19 patients (32.69% vs. 16.22%, P < .001). Hospitalisation in the intensive care unit (ICU) was higher in COVID-19 patients than in non-COVID-19 patients (76.92% vs. 15.73%, P < .001). Length of stay in hospital and ICU, the cost of hospitalisation, and waiting time for the operating room was higher in COVID-19 patients compared with non-COVID-19 patients (15.30 vs. 3.88 days, P < .001; 9.61 vs. 0.75 days, P < .001; 30 430 628.717 vs. 10 219 192.44 rials, P = .011; 0.84 vs. 0.24 min, P < .001, respectively). Intubation and mortality in-hospital were higher in COVID-19 patients compared with non-COVID-19 patients (41.02% vs. 6.99%, P < .001; 35.90% vs. 6.12%, P < .001, respectively). Therefore, it is recommended that health managers and policymakers develop a care plan to provide high-quality care to acute burns patients with COVID-19, especially in low-income countries.

Evaluation of the Spiral Chest CT Scan Findings in Patients with Multiple Trauma.

Objective: To evaluate the spiral chest computed tomography (CT) scan findings in patients with multiple trauma during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This retrospective study was performed on multiple trauma patients admitted to a tertiary hospital in the north of Iran in 2020. All patients with multiple trauma who had undergone a chest spiral CT were included in this study. Furthermore, the data analysis was performed through descriptive and analytical statistics using SPSS software. Results: A total of 600 patients were included over the study period. The mean age of patients was 48.2±20.3 years. Of the total, 496 (65.3%) patients had blunt chest injuries, and 104 (34.7%) had penetrating chest injuries. Falling was the most common mechanical cause of chest trauma in 270 patients (45%). Surgical interventions were performed in 110 (18.3%) patients. A total of 276 (46%) patients had chest injuries identified by CT scans. Many patients (15.6%) had ground-glass lung opacity in the CT scan reports. Lung consolidation, pneumothorax, lung contusion, hemothorax, and rib fractures were the most common. Conclusion: Due to the high frequency of typical findings in spiral CT scan examinations, obtaining a reliable history of trauma severity, injury mechanism, and a detailed physical examination is recommended before prescribing a CT scan for patients.

The presentation of spontaneous splenic rupture in a COVID-19 patient: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Splenic rupture is an emergency condition and a vast number of cases are secondary to trauma. Several underlying pathologies have also been associated with splenic rupture, such as hematological diseases, malignancies, and infectious and inflammatory diseases. CASE PRESENTATION: The patient was a 52-year-old man who referred to the Poursina Hospital in Rasht while complaining of abdominal pain from the day before hospitalization. The patient reported a history of lethargy, fever, and nausea. In the examinations performed, there was a brief tenderness in the patient's epigastrium. The patient was monitored and about 12 h after hospitalization, ill appearance, respiratory (respiratory distress) symptoms, and high fever were reported for the patient. According to the examination, the patient was immediately transferred to the operating room and underwent laparotomy. During the operation, contrary to our expectations, a lot of blood (about 1000 cc) was observed in the patient's abdomen. After blood suctioning, the left upper quadrant (LUQ) was bleeding and the rupture of the spleen could also be observed. Therefore, a splenectomy was performed. In the examinations performed for the patient, the patient's rtPCR test confirmed COVID-19. CONCLUSION: The evaluation of the spontaneous splenic rupture (SSR) in our case shows that this type of risk should also be considered in patients with COVID-19 who refer to medical centers with abdominal pain, and if more cases are reported, the correctness of this process can be commented on.