Augmented Renal Function in Burn Patients: Occurrence and Discordance With Commonly Used Methods to Assess Renal Function.

Augmented renal clearance (ARC) is defined by supraphysiologic renal function and is associated with drug failure due to subtherapeutic drug exposure. Burn patients are cited as being at high risk for ARC, yet rates of ARC have not been well described. This retrospective study described the prevalence and incidence of ARC, and compared 12-hour urine collection values (CrCl-12) vs. common estimates of renal function in assessed patients at an American Burn Association-verified burn center. All thermally injured burn patients with a CrCl-12 result were included. ARC was defined as a CrCl-12 >130 ml/min. Cockcroft-Gault, modification of diet in renal disease (MDRD), and CKD-EPI-2021 estimates were calculated. Over 13 months, 163 CrCl-12 results were collected in 68 patients at a median of 9 days from admission with an average value of 160 ml/min. The median total body surface area (total body surface area [TBSA]%) was 17.25%. ARC prevalence was 70.6% with an incidence of 66.3% in all CrCl-12 assessments. Those with ARC were less likely to have heart failure, P = .007. Age, TBSA%, and trauma were not different between those with or without ARC. ARC incidences in those with TBSAs of ≥20%, <20%, or <10%, were 70.5%, 58.6%, and 76.7%, respectively. Agreement of Cockcroft-Gault, MDRD, and CKD-EPI-2021 to CrCl-12 was moderate to weak and frequently failed to identify ARC. ARC is common in burn patients, regardless of TBSA%. Widely accepted estimations of renal function may be incorrect resulting in under-dosing of medications. Additional research is required to identify burn patients at greatest risk for ARC and subsequent dosing strategies to maintain pharmacologic efficacy without unduetoxicity.

Pictures Do Influence the Decision to Transfer: Outcomes of a Telemedicine Program Serving an Eight-State Rural Population.

Triaging burn patients is a daunting task because burn injuries are rare; this inexperience leads to uncertainty in treatment and referral algorithms. Our regional burn center's catchment area includes eight states. Outlying facilities consult via telephone through the medical center's transfer center. Referring provider assessments of depth or size of injury infrequently correlates with burn provider's assessments. This causes over- and under-triage of patients managed outside of burn centers. A quality improvement telemedicine project was developed to allow burn providers to review photos with referring providers to determine best management, provide pertinent education, and initiate appropriate and timely resuscitation. Details tracked include date of service, consulting provider, follow-up education offered, and whether the image reviewed changed or confirmed the requested plan of care. Of the 155 cases between January 2017 and August 2018, 24.5% of patient images changed the initial transfer decision, and 75.5% confirmed the initial plan of care. Of the cases requiring change of plan, 60.5% were down-triaged to outpatient care and 39.5% were up-triaged to transfer. Implementation of this telemedicine program has increased efficiency of resource utilization, timely resuscitation, appropriate transfer of patients requiring admission, and real-time education. Findings suggest advanced practice providers' assessments are similar to those of referring physicians. These observations may have significant implications on Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) guidelines defining physician to physician consultation and support efficient use of available resources. Telemedicine facilitates access to specialized care and improves fiscal responsibility.

Hospital-acquired complications alter quality of life in adult burn survivors: Report from a burn model system.

INTRODUCTION: Successful burn care should facilitate comprehensive, functional recovery after an injury. But we have a poor understanding of which risk factors influence long-term outcomes after burn injury. Studies have correlated hospital-acquired complications (HACs) with poor long-term outcomes in some populations. The purpose of this study was to determine whether HACs alter patient-reported quality of life in adult burn survivors. METHODS: We followed 496 adults with major burn injury longitudinally as part of a burn outcomes study (1993-2014). Study participants completed SF-12® Health Surveys providing mental (MCS) and physical (PCS) component summary scores at discharge, 12- and 24-months following injury. We reviewed inpatient medical records for complications during the acute care of a thermal injury. Complications were identified using discharge summary and chart ICD-9 codes. We used descriptive statistics to compare demographic and injury characteristics. Stepwise linear regression analyses determined the impact of significant variables on longitudinal MCS and PCS scores. Burn and graft total body surface area, age, and gender were included as predictor variables in univariate models and added to multivariate models when they were significant. RESULTS: Patients who suffered urinary tract infection, venousthromboembolism, pulmonary complications and renal failure during hospitalization for their burn injury reported decreased quality of life as indicated by lower SF-12® PCS scores at 12 and 24months after injury. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrate that inpatient complications negatively impact long-term quality of life, especially physical functioning for patients with burn injuries. Our data confirm the need to consider the influence of hospital-acquired complications on patient-reported long-term outcomes and to support national efforts to reduce complications in burn patients.

Factors which affect the use of lumpectomy and mastectomy in an underinsured, safety net hospital population.

BACKGROUND: This study was performed to evaluate variables that affect the use of mastectomy and lumpectomy in an underinsured population. METHODS: A retrospective review of all patients who underwent breast cancer operations from July 2001 to February 2011 at a safety net hospital was performed. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify variables, which were associated with the type of operation. RESULTS: Of the 412 patients, 81% of the patients were underinsured or uninsured. Most patients (58%) presented with clinical stage 2A/B disease. Mastectomy was performed in 37% of patients and lumpectomy in 63%. In multivariate analysis, clinical tumor size (P = .035) and pathologic stage (P = .003) remained associated with mastectomy, while use of preoperative chemotherapy (P = .004) and type of surgeon (P = .001) was associated with lumpectomy. CONCLUSIONS: Most patients underwent lumpectomy despite later stage at presentation. Preoperative chemotherapy was associated with increased likelihood of lumpectomy.

Factors which affect use of breast conservation and mastectomy in an underinsured Hispanic population.

BACKGROUND: Despite no difference in overall survival between breast conservation and mastectomy, significant variation exists between institutions and within populations. Less data exists about racial and ethnic minority populations. The current study was performed to evaluate variables that affect use of breast conservation and mastectomy in an underinsured Hispanic population. METHODS: A retrospective review was performed of all patients who self-identified as of Hispanic ethnicity and underwent breast cancer operations from July 2001 to February 2011 at a safety net hospital. Sociodemographic, clinical, and treatment variables were evaluated. All patients with documented contraindications to breast conservation were excluded. Univariate analysis and multivariate analysis were performed to identify variables which were associated with type of operation. RESULTS: The average age of the 219 patients included was 50 years. Most of the patients (93%) were insured with Medicaid or uninsured and 59% presented with clinical stage 2A/B cancers. Mastectomy was performed in 33% of patients and 67% had breast conservation. In adjusted multivariate analysis higher pathologic stage (p=0.01) and English speakers (p=0.03) were associated with mastectomy. By contrast, higher BMI (p=0.03) and use of preoperative chemotherapy (p=0.01) were associated with breast conservation. CONCLUSIONS: In this underinsured Hispanic population, patients with higher pathologic stage and English speaking patients were more likely to undergo mastectomy. Patients who underwent preoperative chemotherapy and who had higher BMI were more likely to undergo breast conservation.