Setting the Standard: Using the ABA Burn Registry to Benchmark Risk Adjusted Mortality.

Reports of single center experience and studies of larger databases have identified several predictors of burn center mortality, including age, burn size, and inhalation injury. None of these analyses has been broad enough to allow benchmarking across burn centers. The purpose of this study was to derive a reliable, risk-adjusted, statistical model of mortality based on real-life experience at many burn centers in the U.S. We used the American Burn Association 2020 Full Burn Research Dataset, from the Burn Center Quality Platform (BCQP) to identify 130,729 subjects from July 2015 through June 2020 across 103 unique burn centers. We selected 22 predictor variables, from over 50 recorded in the dataset, based on completeness (at least 75% complete required) and clinical significance. We used gradient-boosted regression, a form of machine learning, to predict mortality and compared this to traditional logistic regression. Model performance was evaluated with AUC and PR curves. The CatBoost model achieved a test AUC of 0.980 with an average precision of 0.800. The logistic regression produced an AUC of 0.951 with an average precision of 0.664. While AUC, the measure most reported in the literature, is high for both models, the CatBoost model is markedly more sensitive, leading to a substantial improvement in precision. Using BCQP data, we can predict burn mortality allowing comparison across burn centers participating in BCQP.

Using a National Burn Registry to Develop a Model for Risk-Adjusted Length of Stay Benchmarking.

Length of stay (LOS) is a frequently reported outcome after a burn injury. LOS benchmarking will benefit individual burn centers as a way to measure their performance and set expectations for patients. We sought to create a nationwide, risk-adjusted model to allow for LOS benchmarking based on the data from a national burn registry. Using data from the American Burn Association's Burn Care Quality Platform, we queried admissions from 7/2015 to 6/2020 and identified 130,729 records reported by 103 centers. Using 22 predictor variables, comparisons of unpenalized linear regression and Gradient boosted (CatBoost) regressor models were performed by measuring the R2 and concordance correlation coefficient on the application of the model to the test dataset. The CatBoost model applied to the bootstrapped versions of the entire dataset was used to calculate O/E ratios for individual burn centers. Analyses were run on 3 cohorts: all patients, 10-20% TBSA, >20% TBSA. The CatBoost model outperformed the linear regression model with a test R2 of 0.67 and CCC of 0.81 compared with the linear model with R2=0.50, CCC=0.68. The CatBoost was also less biased for higher and lower LOS durations. Gradient-boosted regression models provided greater model performance than traditional regression analysis. Using national burn data, we can predict LOS across contributing burn centers while accounting for patient and center characteristics, producing more meaningful O/E ratios. These models provide a risk-adjusted LOS benchmarking using a robust data source, the first of its kind, for burn centers.

Geriatric Burn Injuries Presenting to the Emergency Department of a Major Burn Center: Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Burn injuries in geriatric patients are common and may have significant associated morbidity and mortality. Most research has focused on the care of hospitalized patients after admission to burn units. Little is known about the clinical characteristics of geriatric burn victims who present to the emergency department (ED) and their ED assessment and management. OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to describe the clinical characteristics and outcomes of geriatric patients presenting to the ED with burn injuries. METHODS: We performed a comprehensive retrospective chart review on all patients 60 years and older with a burn injury presenting from January 2011 through September 2015 to a large, urban, academic ED in a hospital with a 20-bed burn center. RESULTS: A total of 459 patients 60 years and older were treated for burn injuries during the study period. Median age of burn patients was 71 years, 23.7% were 80 years and older, and 56.6% were female. The most common burn types were hot water scalds (43.6%) and flame burns (23.1%). Median burn size was 3% total body surface area (TBSA), 17.1% had burns > 10% TBSA, and 7.8% of patients had inhalation injuries. After initial evaluation, 46.4% of patients were discharged from the ED. Among patients discharged from the ED, only 1.9% were re-admitted for any reason within 30 days. Of the patients intubated in the ED, 7.1% were extubated during the first 2 days of admission, and 64.3% contracted ventilator-associated pneumonia. CONCLUSIONS: Better understanding of ED care for geriatric burn injuries may identify areas in which to improve emergency care for these vulnerable patients.

The Global Burn Registry: A Work in Progress.

In 2018, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched the Global Burn Registry (GBR). Its purpose is to help improve the understanding of burn injury worldwide. The purpose of this study was to identify early findings from this database. The GBR was accessed on January 5, 2020. Cases from centers in low income (LIC) and low-middle-income countries (LMIC) were combined into a low resource (LR) group, and cases in high income (HIC) and upper-middle-income countries (UMIC) were combined into a high resource (HR) group. Statistical analysis was performed with SAS 9.4. Data are expressed as mean ± SEM. Logistic regression was used to identify risk factors for death. Revised Baux Score (RBS) was calculated. Odds ratios are expressed as mean (95% confidence interval). The LA50 was calculated from the regression of death and total burn size (TBSA) for different age groups. At the time of analysis, there were 4307 cases in the GBR treated at 28 facilities in 17 countries (5 HIC, 5 UMIC, 4 LMIC, and 3 LIC). There were 2945 cases (68%) from HR countries and 1362 (32%) from LR countries. The mean age of patients in both LR and HR was similar (24.5 ± 0.5 vs 24.2 ± 0.4 years, P = .58), but LR had larger TBSA burns (30.5 ± 0.7% vs 19.8 ± 0.4% TBSA, P < .0001). There were fewer scald burns and more flame injuries in the LR countries (28.4 ± 1.3% vs 43.3 ± 1.0% and 55.2 ± 1.4% vs 39.0 ± 0.9%, P < .0001). Case fatality and RBS were greater in LR (31.9 ± 1.3% vs 9.4 ± 0.5% and 59.4 ± 1.1% vs 45.3 ± 0.6%, P < .0001). In regression analysis, LR was an independent risk factor for death with an odds ratio of 4.2 (3.2-5.4). The LA50 for HR countries was similar to that calculated from cases in the National Burn Repository of the American Burn Association (ABA NBR). For LR countries, the LA50 was lower for all ages except those 65 and older, ranging from 30% to 43% TBSA. Only a few facilities have contributed data to the GBR so far, with LR countries less represented than HR ones. The proportion of cases in the pediatric age group is much less represented in LR countries than in HR, possibly because many burned children in LR countries do not get burn care at specialized centers. Survival in HR countries is similar to that in North America. The GBR provides early insights into global burn care. Opportunities for improvement are greatest in LR countries. New Innovations may be necessary to increase participation from burn centers in LR countries. This report provides an early look at burn care across the globe based on cases in the GBR. It may inform further efforts to characterize and improve burn care in LR countries.

The relationship between annual hospital volume of trauma patients and in-hospital mortality in New York State.

BACKGROUND: Several studies in the literature have examined the volume-outcome relationship for trauma, but the findings have been mixed, and the associated impact of the trauma center level has not been examined to date. The purposes of this study are to (1) determine whether there is a significant relationship between the annual volume of trauma inpatients treated in a trauma center (with "patients" defined in multiple ways) and short-term mortality of those patients, and (2) examine the impact on the volume-mortality relationship of being a Level I versus Level II trauma center. METHODS: Data from New York's Trauma Registry in 2003 to 2006 were used to examine the impact of total trauma patient volume and volume of patients with Injury Severity Score (ISS) of at least 16 on in-hospital mortality rates after adjusting for numerous risk factors that have been demonstrated to be associated with mortality. RESULTS: The adjusted odds of in-hospital mortality patients in centers with a mean annual volume of less than 2,000 patients was significantly higher (adjusted odds ratio = 1.46, 95% confidence interval, 1.25-1.71) than the odds for patients in higher volume centers. The adjusted odds of mortality for patients in centers with an American College of Surgeons-recommended annual volume of less than 240 patients with an ISS of at least 16 was 1.41 times as high (95% confidence interval, 1.17-1.69) as the odds for patients in higher volume centers. However, for both volume cohorts analyzed, the variation in risk-adjusted in-hospital mortality rate was greater among centers within each volume subset than between these volume subsets. CONCLUSION: When considering the trauma system as a whole, higher total annual trauma center volume (2,000 or higher) and higher volume of patients with ISS ≥16 (240 and higher) are significant predictors of lower in-hospital mortality. Although the American College of Surgeons-recommended 1,200 total volume is not a significant predictor, hospitals in New York with ISS ≥16 volumes in excess of 240 also have total volumes in excess of 2,000. However, when considering individual trauma centers, high volume centers do not consistently perform better than low volume centers. Thus, despite the association between volume and mortality, we believe that the most accurate way to assess trauma center performance is through the use of an accurate, complete, comprehensive database for computing center-specific risk-adjusted mortality rates, rather than volume per se.

The development of a regional system for care of the burn-injured patients.

BACKGROUND: In the mid-20th century, it was recognized that patients with major burn injury required a dedicated, multidisciplinary team approach to receive optimal care. In the subsequent years, regionalized systems of care were developed to provide this level of care to the entire populations. There have been no reports on how an individual regional system evolved and the impact it had on the delivery of care for burn-injured patients. METHODS: The number, distribution of patients, and mortality rates of patients who sustained burn injury from the years 1985-2006 were assessed using administrative hospital data obtained from the New York State Department of Health. Data were also obtained from the archives and registry of the first dedicated burn care facility in the region, the Shires Burn Service, from 1976 through 2008. The incidence of fires occurring by year during this period was assessed from data obtained from the Fire Department of New York City. RESULTS: During the period from 1985 through 2006, there were 26,606,463 discharges from hospitals in New York City. Of these, 57,547 patients had a primary diagnosis of burn injury and 33,058 were cared for in designated burn care facilities. Since the inception of regionalized care there appears to be a 43% decrease in hospital admissions for burn injury. In the last year of study, 77.3% of the burn-injured patients were cared for in burn centers. The mortality rate has decreased from 3.8% in 1985 to 2% in 2006. In 1975 there were 137,237 fires in the region, which decreased to 44,054 in 2008. CONCLUSIONS: Although there has been a significant decrease in the number of patients requiring hospitalization for burn injuries, there are still a large number of patients who suffer these injuries. Regionalization of burn care has been associated with care for patients in designated facilities in over 75% of the cases and a reduction in mortality by almost 50%.

The impact of a legislative intervention to reduce tap water scald burns in an urban community.

To review the efficacy municipal legislation in the reduction of tap water scald burns among an urban population. A retrospective chart and database review of patients hospitalized at this burn center between July 1999 and June 2004 for treatment of tap water scalds were performed. Demographic information and injury details, including extent of injury and age, type and location of the dwelling in which the injury occurred, were reviewed. Citywide incidence of these injuries for periods before and after a local prevention law was enacted was also calculated. Hospital costs for acute care treatment of these injuries were estimated. Tap water scalds increased from 15 to 22 per million/yr after legislation enactment. This burn center treated 281 of these patients during 5 years of the study period. Patients experienced significant morbidity and mortality. All cases (100%) occurred in structures exempt from current legislation. Citywide treatment costs were estimated between $102 and $148,000,000. In New York City, tap water scald burns remain a significant public health risk and continue to occur within buildings exempt from current law. Future injuries may potentially be prevented by expanding the law to include all residential buildings, regardless of building age or minimum occupancy.

Tap water scalds among seniors and the elderly: socio-economics and implications for prevention.

INTRODUCTION: Tap water scalds among those >or=60 years old are often attributed to physical impairments with aging. This study assesses socio-economics associated with tap water scalds among seniors and the elderly. METHODS: Charts of patients admitted to an urban Burn Center between 7/00 and 6/04 for treatment of tap water scalds were reviewed. Demographics, injury details, co-morbidities, surgical interventions/critical care requirements, length of stay (LOS), disposition and related economics were reviewed. RESULTS: During the study period, 68 patients >or=60 years were hospitalized for treatment of these scalds. Mean age and burn size were 78+/-1 years and 7+/-0.9% TBSA. Over 98% of patients were admitted with pre-existing co-morbidities; 60% required ICU care for 40+/-5 days; 22% required mechanical ventilation and 71% required surgery. LOS was 34+/-4 days. Most patients received government assistance income. Pre-injury, 32% resided alone. Post-injury, 10% of patients returned home alone; mortality was 22%. Per patient hospital costs approximated $113,000. CONCLUSION: These findings report that tap water scalds result in significant morbidity, mortality and health care costs for local seniors and the elderly. Socio-economic factors play a significant role in these injuries and must be assessed when planning prevention efforts.

The vulnerabilities of age: burns in children and older adults.

BACKGROUND: Both children and older adults are thought to sustain burns serious enough to warrant hospitalization disproportionately more often than other age groups, but the incidence, injury characteristics, and outcome have not been precisely defined. METHODS: Patients hospitalized with a burn diagnosis were identified from hospital discharge data from California, Florida, New Jersey, and New York for the 5-year period 2000-2004. RESULTS: In those states, 60,024 residents were hospitalized with a diagnosis of burn and/or inhalation injury according to the International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification diagnosis codes. Using population data from the United States Census 2000, we found that the average annual incidence of hospitalization with a burn diagnosis in these 4 states was 155 per million (per M) (95% confidence interval,153-158). There were 13,453 children under 15 years of age: incidence, 163 per M (range, 157-169). Of these 9508 (70%) were under 5 years of age: incidence, 363 per M (range, 347-379). In contrast, there were 10,686 patients 65 years of age or older: incidence, 214 per M (range, 205-224), of whom 2091 were at least 85 years old: incidence, 347 per M (range, 314-380). The incidence of hospitalization with a burn diagnosis for patients 15 to 64 years of age was 141 per M (range, 138-145). Compared with children younger than 15 years, patients aged 65 years and older more often had flame burns (odds ratio [OR], 2.12), burns of 20% or more of body surface area (OR, 2.41), inhalation injury (OR, 2.88), respiratory failure (OR, 4.48), and death (OR, 16.53), all P < .0001. CONCLUSIONS: Older individuals are the most vulnerable to the morbidity and mortality of burn injury. Prevention strategies targeted to those older than 65 years should be developed.

Burn-injured patients in a disaster: September 11th revisited.

We sought to review the steps taken by the New York Presbyterian Healthcare System to address disaster preparedness in the wake of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. We reviewed the institutional records of emergency preparedness efforts, including improvements in infrastructure, employee education and training, and participation in intramural and extramural disaster response initiatives. We used a state discharge database to review burn injury triage within New York State (1995-2004). Since September 11, 2001, significant resources have been devoted to emergency preparedness: expansion of emergency services training, education, response, equipment, and communications; participation in regional disaster response exercises; revision of hospital preparedness plans; and development of municipal and regional responses to a burn mass casualty incident. A review of state and city burn triage patterns during the period of 1995 to 2004 revealed a decline in the number of burn cases treated in New York State-based hospitals by an average of 81 +/- 24 (mean +/- SEM) fewer cases/year (P = .01), occurring primarily in hospitals outside of New York City. Additionally, there was a steady increase in the proportion of New York City burn patients treated at burn center hospitals by 1.8 +/- 0.1 % per year (P < .0001). In response to the events of September 11, 2001, this health care system and this hospital has taken many steps to enhance its disaster response capabilities.

National Burn Repository 2005: a ten-year review.

In the early 1990s, the American Burn Association (ABA) started its first burn registry development initiatives. The impetus for the registry development software originated from several directions, including the following: (1) the recognition that national registries were widespread and of proven benefit; (2) growing demands from accrediting institutions, payers, and patient advocacy groups for objective and verifiable data regarding patient costs, treatments, and outcomes; and (3) the shift toward "evidence-based" medicine and the ongoing analysis of treatment effectiveness. The ABA has issued three calls for burn registry data for its National Burn Repository (NBR): 1994, 2002, and 2005. In 1994, 28 burn centers contributed data for more than 6,400 patients treated from 1991 to 1993. The ABA announced its second call for data in 2001 and distributed the published results of more than 54,000 acute burn admissions treated from 1974 to 2002 at the Association's 2002 Annual Meeting. The third ABA call for data was issued in the Fall of 2005. The results are detailed in this report, which provides a summary of more than a quarter million acute burn admissions from 1995 to 2005, representing 70 hospitals from 30 states plus the District of Columbia. Statistics are presented in chart and table format to illustrate such key factors as patient age, burn size group, types of injuries, mortality rates, and average hospital charges by etiology and length of hospital stay. The data presented herein should help stimulate quality improvement programs in burn care, as burn centers compare their performance with the national data and as research is expanded using the NBR. The NBR will be published annually and, with continued refinements to the registry software, should become of increasing importance to clinicians, payers, researchers, and the public.

A regional burn center's response to a disaster: September 11, 2001, and the days beyond.

This report reviews the response of a regional burn center to the disaster that occurred in New York City at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. In addition, it assesses that response in the context of other medical institutions in the region. There were facilities in the region that had 120 burn care beds; only two-thirds of the burn-injured patients who required hospital admission were admitted to designated burn centers, and only 28% of burn-injured victims initially were triaged to regional burn centers. The care rendered at this center was made possible by a "disaster-ready" facility and supplementation of personnel from the resources provided by The National Disaster Medical System. The patient outcomes at this center exceeded that as predicted by logistic regression analysis.

Firefighter burn injuries: a 10-year longitudinal study.

Our metropolitan area employs approximately 11,000 firefighters who respond to more than 435,000 fire-related incidents per year. It is inevitable that some of these firefighters will suffer burn injuries. This 10-year retrospective review describes the epidemiology of firefighters with burn injuries who were treated at our burn center. From 1992 to 2002, 987 firefighters were treated at our burn center. The total number of firefighters treated for burn injuries and the number of firefighters who were treated for burn injuries to the lower extremities occurred in a bimodal distribution. Injury prevention efforts will continue to further reduce the incidence of burn injuries in the firefighters of our community.