Necrotizing fasciitis after liposuction.

Necrotizing fasciitis is a progressive soft tissue infection (skin, subcutaneous tissue and fascia) caused in the main by Streptococcus pyogenes, which gains entry into the organism through any type of wound and even through intact skin. Diagnosis is essentially clinical, being the sum of non-specific, insidious skin lesions, associated with intense pain and multiorgan failure. Treatment is radical surgical excision of the affected tissues, combined antibiotic therapy and supportive care. However, mortality rates are still very high. It is therefore a disease to be taken very seriously, not only in the population as a whole, but following any surgical intervention, including cosmetic surgery, where there have been reports of cases. We present a case treated in our Department, with the aim of augmenting the references available on the subject and consequently increasing awareness and interest in this serious condition which has such terrible consequences.

[Burns produced by lighters]. / Quemaduras por manipulación de encendedores.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the characteristics of patients requiring hospitalization for burns produced by lighter flame and to review current knowledge about their prevention. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective, descriptive study through a review of the medical records of children (0-14 years) admitted to our hospital for more than 24 hours with burns and/or smoke inhalation from 2000-2004. Of these, accidents related to the handling of lighters were selected. The variables studied were: age, sex, mechanism, extent of body surface area (BSA) burned, degree of burn, length of hospital stay, the need for skin grafts, mortality, and sequelae. RESULTS: Twenty-two patients were evaluated. Seventy-six percent were boys. Age ranged from 1.5 years to 14 years. Ten patients (45 %) were aged less than 6 years old and 12 were aged 6 years old or older (55 %). The percentage of BSA burned varied: 65 % presented burns of less than 10 % BSA. Twenty-seven percent (6 patients) suffered major burns (> 20 %BSA). The mean length of hospital stay was 25 days (range:4-58 days). Seventy-seven percent of patients required surgery, mainly wound debridement and skin autografting and 33 % showed sequelae. The most severe was hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy due to smoke and CO inhalation in 1 patient, who developed severe psychomotor sequelae and died 3 months later from infectious complications related to severe encephalopathy. Overall, 2 patients (9 %) died. CONCLUSIONS: Because of the frequency and severity of burns associated with lighter handling by children, pediatricians should increase their efforts to educate families. Effective legislation should be passed in Spain aimed at incorporating childproof safety devices in lighters.

Quemaduras por manipulación de encendedores / Burns produced by lighters

Objetivo: Describir las características de los pacientes que han precisado hospitalización por quemaduras producidas por llama en relación con la manipulación de encendedores, y revisar el estado actual de su prevención. Pacientes y métodos: Estudio retrospectivo de historias clínicas de los pacientes afectados de quemaduras por llama y/o inhalación de humo (de 0 a 14 años) ingresados durante más de 24 h en nuestro Hospital entre el año 2000 y 2004. De ellos, seleccionamos los accidentes producidos en relación con la manipulación de encendedores. Se estudiaron las siguientes variables: edad, sexo, mecanismo, superficie corporal quemada (SCQ), grado de profundidad, duración del ingreso, pacientes que requirieron injerto cutáneo, mortalidad y secuelas. Resultados: Se ha evaluado 22 pacientes, por parte de los niños. El 76 % eran varones. El rango de edad fue desde 1,5 años hasta los 14 años. Diez fueron menores de 6 años (45 %) y 12 tenían 6 o más años (55 %). El porcentaje de SCQ fue variable, siendo el grupo más numeroso, con el 64 %, el que presentaba quemaduras en menos del 10 % de SCQ y encontrado un porcentaje del 27 % (6 pacientes) con superficie de gran quemado (> 20 % SCQ). La estancia media fue de 25 días (límites: 4-58 días). El 77 % precisaron cirugía, principalmente desbridamiento y autoinjerto cutáneo. El 33 % presentaron secuelas, siendo la más grave la de un paciente con encefalopatía hipóxico-isquémica, por inhalación de humos y CO que desarrolló secuelas psicomotoras graves y falleció, posteriormente, al cabo de 3 meses por complicaciones infecciosas relacionadas con su encefalopatía de grado profundo. En total fallecieron 2 pacientes (9 %). Conclusiones: La producción de quemaduras por la manipulación de encendedores en los niños origina una morbilidad importante que justifica establecer una mejor prevención de estos accidentes, mediante la educación de la población. Deberían existir medidas de tipo legislativo en España, al objeto de incorporar dispositivos de seguridad en los encendedores, para niños menores de 5 años

Objective: To describe the characteristics of patients requiring hospitalization for burns produced by lighter flame and to review current knowledge about their prevention. Patients and methods: We performed a retrospective, descriptive study through a review of the medical records of children (0-14 years) admitted to our hospital for more than 24 hours with burns and/or smoke inhalation from 2000-2004. Of these, accidents related to the handling of lighters were selected. The variables studied were: age, sex, mechanism, extent of body surface area (BSA) burned, degree of burn, length of hospital stay, the need for skin grafts, mortality, and sequelae. Results: Twenty-two patients were evaluated. Seventy-six percent were boys. Age ranged from 1.5 years to 14 years. Ten patients (45 %) were aged less than 6 years old and 12 were aged 6 years old or older (55 %). The percentage of BSA burned varied: 65 % presented burns of less than 10 % BSA. Twenty-seven percent (6 patients) suffered major burns (> 20 %BSA). The mean length of hospital stay was 25 days (range:4-58 days). Seventy-seven percent of patients required surgery, mainly wound debridement and skin autografting and 33 % showed sequelae. The most severe was hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy due to smoke and CO inhalation in 1 patient, who developed severe psychomotor sequelae and died 3 months later from infectious complications related to severe encephalopathy. Overall, 2 patients (9 %) died. Conclusions: Because of the frequency and severity of burns associated with lighter handling by children, pediatricians should increase their efforts to educate families. Effective legislation should be passed in Spain aimed at incorporating childproof safety devices in lighters

Actualización epidemiológica y mortalidad de quemados adultos en Cataluña (España) / Adult burn epidemiology and mortality rate update in Catalonia (Spain)

La Unidad de Quemados del Hospital Universitario de la Vall d’Hebron de Barcelona (España) ha realizado un segundo estudio epidemiológico y de mortalidad en quemados adultos que complementa y actualiza el publicado por Barretet al en 1998. La revisión epidemiológica comprende cinco años, desde enero de 1997 a diciembre de 2001. En dicho período se atendieron 1430 urgencias/año con una media de424 ingresos/año hasta un total de 2120 pacientes ingresados vía urgencias. Con una mortalidad global del 3,25 %, se observa una disminución aparente respecto a la obtenida en la primera mitad de la década de los 90 (3,49 %). La causa principal de quemaduras es el accidente casual por llama, destacándola ignición de material altamente inflamable, siendo la mortalidad en mujeres más elevada que en hombres: 3,43 versus3,14 % (p<0,05). Varios son los factores que determinan un peor pronóstico evolutivo de los pacientes como son la edad, la superficie corporal total quemada (SCTQ), la inhalación de humos, el ingreso en la Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos(UCI) y los antecedentes personales previos. La Dosis Letal 50 (DL50) obtenida en este período de 83,2 % de superficie corporal total quemada (SCTQ) conjuntamente con la baja mortalidad, sitúan a la Unidad de Quemados de la Vall d’Hebron en el grupo de centros desarrollados con mejores índices de supervivencia en quemados (AU)

The Val d’Hebron University Hospital Burns Unit in Barcelona (Spain) has carried out a second study of epidemiology and mortality rate in adult burns cases, which complements and updates the one published by Barret et al in 1998 (1). The epidemiology consists of five years between January 1997 and December 2001. In this period , 1430 urgent cases were treated per year, with an average of 424 admissions per year, thus making a total of 2120 patients admitted through emergencies. The average mortality rate (3,25%) shows an apparent decrease compared with the results obtained during the first half of the 90s decade, ( 3,49%). The main cause of burns are accidents with involving fire, which subsequently cause the ignition of highly flammable material. The death rate in women is higher than that in men: 3,43% compared with 3,14%. There are various factors which determine the worst evolutional prognosis: age, TBAB (total body area burned), smoke inhalation, admittance into Intensive Care Unit (ICU), personal antecedents. The Lethal Dose 50 (LD50) (83,2%) and the low mortality rate seen during this period places the Burns Unit of the Val d’Hebron amongs the best developed centres with the highest survival rates of burns cases (AU)

[Tap-water scald burns]. / Quemaduras por agua caliente sanitaria.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the characteristics of patients with tap-water scalds admitted to our hospital and review current knowledge on their prevention. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective study of admissions for tap-water scalds. The medical records codified as water-tap scalds (MBDS; CIE-9-CM, 940.0-949.5, E.924.0, E.924.2) of patients admitted to our hospital for more than 24 hours from January 1 to December 31, 2003 were reviewed. The following variables were studied: age, sex, mechanism, extent and degree of burn, localization, length of hospital stay, treatment, requirement for skin grafting, mortality, and sequelae. RESULTS: Twenty-nine patients were treated in our hospital. Sixty-two percent were boys. Age ranged from 3 days to 9 years. Six patients (20.6 %) were aged less than 1 year, 19 (63 %) were aged between 1 and 3 years and four (13.8 %) were aged from 3 to 9 years. Body surface area was 10 % or less in 25 patients and more than 20 % in four. Five patients required skin autografting. In two patients, the scald was produced in the neonatal area of our hospital. The mean length of hospital stay was 12 days, ranging from 1 to 38 days. None of the patients died. One patient suffered severe sequelae. CONCLUSIONS: Because of the frequency and severity of the burns reported in this study, pediatricians should increase their efforts in educating families about this type of burn. In addition, effective legislation should be implemented in Spain.

Quemaduras por agua caliente sanitaria / Tap-water scald burns

Objetivo: Describir las características de los pacientes que han precisado hospitalización por quemaduras producidas por agua sanitaria y revisar el estado actual de su prevención. Pacientes y métodos: Estudio retrospectivo por revisión de historias clínicas codificadas como quemaduras por agua sanitaria (CMBD; CIE-9-CM, 940.0-949.5, E924.0, E.924.2) ingresados durante más de 24 h en nuestro hospital desde el 1 de enero de 1998 hasta el 31 de diciembre de 2003. Se estudiaron las siguientes variables: edad, sexo, mecanismo, extensión y grado de profundidad de la quemadura, duración del ingreso, casos que requirieron injerto cutáneo, mortalidad y secuelas. Resultados: Se ha evaluado a 29 pacientes. El 62 por ciento eran varones. El rango de edad fue desde los 3 días de vida a los 9 años de edad. Seis pacientes eran menores de un año (20,6 por ciento), 19 de 1 a 3 años (63 por ciento), y 4 mayores de 3 años (13,8 por ciento). En cuanto a la superficie corporal quemada, en 25 casos fue igual o inferior a 10 por ciento, y en cuatro fue superior al 20 por ciento. Cinco pacientes requirieron la realización de autoinjerto cutáneo. Dos quemaduras fueron intrahospitalarias, que correspondían a dos recién nacidos. La estancia media fue de 12 días, con un rango de 1 a 38 días. Se observaron secuelas graves en un paciente. No hubo mortalidad. Conclusiones: La incidencia y la gravedad de los pacientes descritos justifican incrementar las medidas preventivas por parte del pediatra, y consideramos que deberían existir medidas de tipo legislativo en España (AU)