Topical Liposomal Amphotericin (Ambisome®) for the Treatment of Cutaneous Fusarium in a Burn-Injured Patient.

Cutaneous Fusarium infections carry significant morbidity and mortality in burn-injured patients. Treatment involves surgical source control in combination of systemic and topical therapy. Given drug shortage constraints with conventional amphotericin deoxycholate, we describe the first case of successful treatment with adjunctive topical liposomal amphotericin in a critically ill burn-injured patient.

Practice Dilemmas: Conditions That Mimic Pressure Ulcers/Injuries- To Be or Not To Be?

BACKGROUND: Pressure ulcers/injuries (PU/Is) negatively affect patients by causing pain and increasing morbidity and mortality risks. Care teams have a heightened sense of awareness of the condition and may feel confident in their ability to appropriately identify and manage PU/Is, but the potential for, and consequences of, a misdiagnosis always should be considered. PURPOSE: The purpose of this compendium is to describe and illustrate conditions that may mimic PU/Is. METHODS: Advanced practice wound care nurses were asked to identify and describe conditions that may mimic PU/Is. Permission was obtained from all patients to use their cases and photos in this article. RESULTS: Sixteen (16) different skin and wound presentations resulting from vascular diseases, systemic infections, trauma, cancer, autoimmune disorders, coagulopathies, and multisystem organ dysfunction were identified and described. CONCLUSION: A complete patient history and assessment will help prevent misidentification of the etiology of a skin lesion or wound and misdiagnosis of these lesions as PU/Is.

Neuropathy May Be an Independent Risk Factor for Amputation After Lower-Extremity Burn in Adults With Diabetes.

IN BRIEF Treatment of lower-extremity burn injuries in adults with diabetes can be complex, and some diabetes-related factors can lead to impaired healing of such wounds, putting patients at risk of amputation. In this retrospective review of adult patients with lower-extremity burns, patients with pre-injury neuropathy and higher A1C levels were more likely to require amputations after their burn injury. The authors conclude that lower-extremity burn injuries in patients with diabetes require close follow-up and possibly referral to a burn specialist for interventions and treatment strategies to offset more serious complications.

The frailty tipping point: Determining which patients are targets for intervention in a burn population.

OBJECTIVE: Elderly burn patients vary in physiologic age and frailty. While previous evidence suggests that frailty on admission is associated with poor outcomes, changes in frailty during hospitalization for a burn injury have not been reported. METHODS: We performed a two-year retrospective review of all elderly (≥65years) burn-patients admitted to our burn center. Patients who died during admission were excluded. Data collected include: demographics, injury characteristics, outcomes, and discharge disposition. Canadian Study on Health and Aging Clinical Frailty Scores (CFS) were calculated on admission and at discharge. Change in frailty was calculated for each patient. Mean values are represented as mean±standard deviation, median values are represented as median (IQR). RESULTS: Seventy-nine patients, mean age of 75±8years, with a mean admission CFS was 4.3±1.2 and discharge CFS was 5.1±1.2 were included in the study. The mean change in CFS was -0.55±0.93. Forty-six patients (59%) had no change or an improvement in frailty during hospitalization while 32 (41%) had worsened CFS at discharge. Patients whose CFS was worse at discharge had larger burns (12.8±10.7% vs. 6.28±5.7%), lower admission CFS (3.88±1.5 vs. 4.93±1.0), and longer ICU stays (15.6±18.9 vs. 7.64± 10.6 days) than patients without change in CFS. On multivariate regression analysis TBSA (OR 1.2 (1.07-1.3)) and admission CFS of 1-4 (OR 7.9 (2.2-28)) were significant predictors of worsened CFS at discharge. CONCLUSIONS: In our study population, patients with low admission frailty scores are at greatest risk for worsened frailty at discharge and should be targeted for the development of future frailty prevention programs.

Butane Hash Oil Burns: A 7-Year Perspective on a Growing Problem.

With the legalization of marijuana in four states, and decriminalization in many others, marijuana is becoming easier to obtain. The authors have experienced an increase in burn injuries related to the production of butane hash oil (BHO; a concentrated tetrahydrocannabinol product produced by the distillation of marijuana plant products with pressurized butane). This article updates our experience and highlights the increasing public health problem associated with these burns. Charts of patients who presented to the burn center with suspicion of BHO-related injuries between January 2007 and December 2014 were examined. Data collected included demographics, injury characteristics, treatment utilized, and outcomes. Charts of 101 patients were identified as having BHO-related burn injury. The mean age of these patients was 30.5 ± 10.6 years (mean ± standard deviation, range: 2-55 years) and 93.1% were male. Patients sustained a mean of 26.8 ± 24.1% TBSA burn with 14.3 ± 25.1% third degree burns. Three patients died as the result of their injuries. Patients required a mean of 12 ± 48.4 ventilator days, and 27.1 ± 59.4 days in the hospital. The number of patients presenting with these burns increased over the past 7 years. BHO burns occur most commonly in February (12 patients), on Wednesday (19 patients), and between 18:00 and 06:00 (58 patients). There has been a sharp increase in the number of patients presenting with burn-associated BHO production in the region over the past 7 years. The authors as burn care providers need to increase public awareness of this issue and aid in the development of legislation to help prevent these burns before it becomes a public health crisis.

Frailty score on admission predicts outcomes in elderly burn injury.

With longer life expectancy, the number of burn injuries in the elderly continues to increase. Prediction of outcomes for the elderly is complicated by preinjury physical fitness and comorbid illness. The authors hypothesize that admission frailty assessment would be predictive of outcomes in the elderly burn population. Our primary aim was to determine if higher frailty scores were associated with higher risk of mortality for elderly burn patients. The secondary aims were to assess if higher frailty scores were associated with increased length of stay, increased needs for mechanical ventilation and poor discharge disposition. A 2-year retrospective chart review was performed of all admitted acute burn patients 65 years or older. Data collected included: age, gender, %TBSA of burn injury, presence of inhalation injury, in hospital mortality, hospital length of stay, ventilator days, ICU length of stay, surgical procedures, insurance status, and discharge disposition. Frailty scores were assessed from admission data and calculated using the Canadian Study of Health and Aging clinical frailty scale. A total of 89 patients met entry criteria. Mean age was 75.3 ± 8.1 years and consisted of 62 men and 27 women. Mean %TBSA was 9.6 ± 9.1% and mean frailty score (FS) was 4.5 ± 1.2. Eighty patients survived to discharge and nine died. Nonsurvivors had significantly higher FS compared to survivors (5.2 ± 1.2 vs 4.4 ± 1.2). FS were also significantly higher in patients discharged to skilled nursing facilities (SNF) (5.34 ± 0.9) compared to those who were discharged home (4.1 ± 1.2) or to physical rehabilitation facilities (4 ± 1.5). Multivariate linear regression analysis revealed that age (B = 0.04) and discharge to SNF (B = 1.2) are independently associated with higher FS. However, survivors were independently associated with a significantly lower FS (B = -1.3). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed high admission FS independently increased the risk of discharge to SNF (odds ratio of 2.5 [1.3-4.8, 95% confidence interval]) and increased the risk of mortality (odds ratio of 1.67 [1.01-2.7, 95% confidence interval]). Frailty scores on admission allow for a more complete assessment of elderly patients and can be used to establish benchmark models for burn injury outcomes. In addition FS can be used as a research tool to improve outcomes for elderly burn injured patients.

Peripherally inserted central line catheter infections in burn patients.

Peripherally inserted central line catheter (PICC) use has increased in burn patients. While the risks of central line associated blood stream infections (CLABSI) in burn patients have been well studied, the risks of PICC infections have yet to be fully elucidated. A retrospective chart review was performed of all burn patients with a PICC admitted to our regional burn center from 2006 to 2008. Information collected included: age, total body surface area (TBSA) burn injury, length of hospital stay, duration of PICC line insertion, hospital day of PICC line insertion, and development of infections. All mean values are presented as the mean ± standard error. A total of 56 patients received a PICC during this time period. Eight patients developed PICC infections with an overall rate of 11.7/1000 catheter days. Burn patient CLABSI for the same time period was 12.9/1000 catheter days. Duration of PICC did not differ between infected and noninfected patients (13.3 ± 6 vs. 12.1 ± 9.6 days). Patients with PICC infections had a higher percentage of TBSA (42.7 ± 3.2 vs. 20.6 ± 2.4*), longer length of admission (72.4 ± 6 vs. 35 ± 3.2*), and later hospital day of PICC insertion (48 ± 4.6 vs. 17.1 ± 2.5*). On linear regression analysis, PICC infection was significantly associated with TBSA (B = 22.1*), length of admission (B = 37.4*), and hospital day of PICC insertion (B = 30.3*). On multivariate analysis, TBSA (Odds ratio [OR] = 1.05*), length of admission (OR = 1.04*), and hospital day of PICC insertion (OR = 1.05*) all independently increased the risk of developing a PICC infection. Patients with severe burn injury, long hospital admissions, and later hospital day of PICC insertions are at higher risk of developing PICC infections. This data suggests that protocols should be developed about routine PICC changes in this high-risk burn population.

Reducing postburn injury anemia in a Jehovah's Witness patient.

Anemia is a complication of severe burn injury. Burn patients who refuse blood transfusions, such as Jehovah's Witnesses, present difficult challenges, and treatment paradigms need to be altered to reduce blood loss and increase red cell restoration. In this report the authors present a case of a 36-year-old Jehovah's Witness who suffered a 35% TBSA burn injury. In addition to standard burn injury treatment, the authors attempted to reduce blood loss with a combination of intraoperative (tranexamic acid) and perioperative (erythropoietin, intravenous iron) strategies.

A ten-year review of lower extremity burns in diabetics: small burns that lead to major problems.

Diabetes mellitus with its resulting neurovascular changes may lead to an increased risk of burns and impaired wound healing. The purpose of this article is to review 10 years of experience with foot and lower leg burns in patients with diabetes at a single adult burn center. Patients with lower extremity burns and diabetes mellitus, between May 1999 and December 2009, were identified in the Trauma Registry of the American College of Surgeons database, and their charts were reviewed for data related to their outcomes. Sixty-eight diabetic patients, 87% male, with a mean age of 54 years, sustained foot or lower extremity burns with 37 having burns resulting from insensate feet. The pathogenesis included walking on a hot or very cold surface (8), soaking feet in hot water (22), warming feet on or near something hot such as a heater (13), or spilling hot water (7). The majority of patients were taking insulin (59.6%) or oral hyperglycemic medications (34.6%). Blood sugar levels were not well controlled (mean glucose, 215.8 mg/dl; mean hemoglobin A1c, 9.08%). Renal disease was common with admission serum blood urea nitrogen (27.5 mg/dl) and creatinine (2.21 mg/dl), and 13 were on dialysis preinjury. Cardiovascular problems were common with 39 (57%) having hypertension or cardiac disease, 3 having peripheral vascular disease, and 9, previous amputations. The mean burn size was 4.2% TBSA (range, 0.5-15%) with 57% being full thickness. Despite the small burn, the mean length of stay was 15.2 days (range, 1-95), with 5.65 days per 1% TBSA. Inability to heal these wounds was evident in 19 patients requiring readmission (one required 10 operative procedures). At least one patient sustained more than one burn. There were 62 complications with 30 episodes of infection (cellulitis, 28; osteomyelitis, 4; deep plantar infections, 2; ruptured Achilles tendon, 1) and 3 deaths. Eleven patients needed amputations (7 below-knee amputations, 4 transmetatarsal amputations, and 20 toe amputations) with several needing revisions or higher amputations. Patients with diabetes have an increased risk for lower extremity complications, but the risk of burns is not well known. The majority of lower extremity burns result from intentional exposure to sources of heat without recognition for the risk of burns. Once a burn occurs, morbidity and cost to the patient and society are severe. Prevention programs should be initiated to make diabetic patients and their doctors aware of the significant risk for burns.