ABSTRACT
Genital burns are unique and complex injuries that impact patients physically and emotionally. This study investigates the specific impact of genital burns on psychosocial and physical outcomes. A retrospective cohort study was conducted using the TriNetX database, encompassing over 117 million patients from U.S. healthcare institutions. Patients with genital burns were identified and categorized into sub-cohorts based on TBSA and burn degree. Propensity score matching and cohort balancing were performed based on age, gender, race, and ethnicity. Outcomes were analyzed both short-term (1 month) and long-term (5 years), focusing on psychiatric and physical aspects. This study identified 3,496 genital burn patients over a 15-year period. Analyses revealed that genital burns significantly increased short-term risk of death (RR: 2.8), anxiety (RR: 2.656), hospitalization (RR: 2.167), and any anxiety, PTSD, or depression (RR: 2.363), and long-term risk of death (RR: 1.658) and pruritus (RR: 1.58) (all p<0.05). Interestingly, genital burn patients showed a lower risk of chronic joint pain compared to other burn injuries (RR: 0.815) (p<0.05). These results occurred independently of the extent of TBSA. Genital burns have a distinctive impact on patients, leading to higher rates of certain psychiatric morbidities and physical complications. This study highlights the need for tailored care and consideration of the unique challenges faced by patients with genital burns, both in the immediate aftermath and in the long term. Understanding the specific impacts of genital burns is vital for healthcare practitioners to develop care strategies and better support for patients recovering from such injuries.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: In the advent of increasing antibiotic resistance, several studies sought to determine antibiotic prescription trends; however, no pattern has been firmly identified particularly for the burned population. We performed a query of burned patients in a large established database to understand differences in antibiotic use related to patient-specific factors. METHODS: Burned patients with systemic antibiotics given within 7 days of injury were identified on the TriNetX database. The patient population was stratified by age, 1-year time intervals of antibiotic prescription from 2004 to 2019, time of antibiotic prescription in 1-day intervals after injury, and % TBSA burned in 10% intervals ranging from < 10% to > 90%. Data were analyzed using χ2 with p < 0.05 considered significant. Pearson coefficients (r2) values were used to correlate differences in antibiotic prescription between age groups and to changes over time. RESULTS: Stratification by age revealed higher use of antibiotics in older burned patients compared to younger patients. Surprisingly, 87.6% of burn patients of those who received antibiotic therapy was on the day of injury. Penicillins and beta-lactam antimicrobials were used most often at a frequency of 64%. No statistically significant differences in rates of antibiotic therapy were observed in burned patients when stratified by %TBSA burned. CONCLUSIONS: The study elucidates current patterns of antibiotic use in burn care in the United States, allowing for improved understanding of both past and present patterns of antibiotic prescription.