Capítulo de Quemaduras de FILACP Actualización en el tratamiento del paciente quemado / FILACP Burns Committee Update in the treatment of the burned patient

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Evolución histórica del tratamiento del paciente quemado / Historic evolution of burn care

El tratamiento de las quemaduras es una ciencia tan antigua como los conflictos humanos, que ha debido refinarse y adaptarse a las mejoras de la tecnología armamentística a lo largo de la historia. El fuego ha sido probablemente una de las primeras armas de doble filo con las que el ser humano ha topado durante su desarrollo tecnológico. Históricamente, este elemento ha servido tanto para mejorar las condiciones de vida de las sociedades como para destruirlas y ocasionar terribles sufrimientos. En este trabajo realizamos una exposición cronológica de la evolución del tratamiento de las quemaduras, presentando a las figuras científicas más relevantes de cada momento y sus aportaciones. Además, destacamos los conflictos y desastres coincidentes en el tiempo de vida de cada uno de estos médicos, ya que, en muchos casos, fue el trabajo desarrollado durante estas catástrofes lo que permitió la progresión de este ámbito. El objetivo de esta revisión histórica es proporcionar al lector cierto conocimiento sobre el camino que esta ciencia del tratamiento de las quemaduras ha seguido hasta alcanzar el punto de desarrollo actual, Desde el primer registro histórico sobre tratamientos para las quemaduras en un papiro egipcio del 1500 a.C., cada figura relevante de la Medicina en su tiempo ha propuesto su propio remedio para las quemaduras; la mayoría de ellos sin fundamento científico según los paradigmas actuales. No obstante, desde el siglo XVI ha habido aportaciones puntuales hasta alcanzar un importante desarrollo durante los siglos XIX y XX, coincidiendo en el tiempo con la revolución industrial y científica de las Grandes Guerras, en las que la cantidad de víctimas por quemaduras fue inmensa, proporcionando un extenso campo observacional y experimental. Gracias a todo ello, los pacientes quemados alcanzan actualmente unas tasas de supervivencia impensables hace siglos. Ponemos pues en evidencia que la adversidad, estudiada desde un enfoque científico, puede servir como oportunidad para mejorar la calidad de vida de las generaciones venideras

Burn treatment is such an ancient science as human conflicts, and it has had to be refined and adapted to the improvements in military technology throughout history. Fire has probably been one of the first double sided weapons developed by humanity during its technologic development. This element has both served to improve life conditions of societies, and to destroy them causing terrible suffering. In this article, we perform a chronological exposition of the evolution of burn treatment, presenting the more relevant scientific figures of each time, and their contributions. Also, conflicts and disasters that coincided with these scientists are described, as in most cases, the work developed during those catastrophes eased the advancement of this field. The objective of this historical review is to provide the reader with certain knowledge about the path this science has followed until reaching its actual state. The first existing reference to burn treatment goes back to an egyptian papyrus written around the year 1500 b.C. Since then, each relevant figure in the field of Medicine of their time proposed their own treatment for burns; which in most cases, had no scientific basis according to current paradigms. However, since the 16th century, certain advancements in different fields of burn care were described, reaching an important development during the 19th and 20th centuries, when industrial and scientific revolution coexisted with the Great Wars, which provided wide experimental and observational fields. Therefore, and thank to scientific discoveries of the last centuries, burned patients present survival rates that were unconceivable years ago. We remark that highlighting that adversity, studied through scientific methodology, might serve as an opportunity to improve quality of life of upcoming generations

Situación actual de la Microcirugía en quemados. Revisión sistemática / Current status of Microsurgery in burns. Systematic review

INTRODUCCIÓN Y OBJETIVO: El empleo de transferencias de tejido libre vascularizado se ha consolidado en los últimos años dentro del tratamiento quirúrgico de los pacientes quemados. El objetivo de este trabajo es establecer conclusiones extrapolables a la práctica habitual para la optimización de resultados en el uso de colgajos libres en estos pacientes. MATERIAL Y MÉTODO: Realizamos una revisión de las bases de datos Pubmed y Scielo utilizando los términos "colgajo libre" o "microcirugía" o "transferencia tisular libre" y "quemadura" o "lesión térmica". Identificamos 1366 artículos que posteriormente revisamos para seleccionar aquellos con información relevante sobre: incidencia de colgajos libres en pacientes quemados, complicaciones, estrategias para mejorar la tasa de éxito, preparación preoperatoria, control y manejo postoperatorio. RESULTADOS: Incluimos finalmente 31 artículos. Los trabajos publicados reflejan que entre el 1.5 y el 1.8% de los pacientes con quemaduras quirúrgicas reciben cobertura mediante colgajos libres. La tasa de complicaciones mayores se eleva respecto a otros grupos de pacientes; sin embargo desciende en gran medida si la cirugía no se realiza entre los días 5 y 21 postquemadura. La realización de pruebas de imagen para la selección de vasos receptores no es indispensable. Se recomienda mantener temperatura por encima de 36 °C, normovolemia y hematocrito entre 30 y 40%, evitando la transfusión en caso de valores de hemoglobina superiores a 70 g/l. En caso de necesidad de drogas vasoactivas, serían de elección la noradrenalina o la dobutamina. CONCLUSIONES: Aunque la Microcirugía es infrecuente en el tratamiento de las quemaduras, es un recurso esencial en determinados pacientes. Esta revisión puede ser de utilidad para orientar el manejo clínico de los colgajos libres en pacientes quemados así como futuras investigaciones en este ámbito

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The use of microvascular free tissue transplantation in burn patients has consolidated over the last years. The purpose of this article is to establish practical conclusions in order to optimize the results of free flaps in this group of patients. METHODS: A review of the PubMed and Scielo databases was performed using a combination of the search terms "free flap" or "microsurgery" or "free tissue transfer" and "burn" or "thermal injury". The search returned 1366 articles that were analyzed to include those with relevant information about: incidence of free flaps in burn patients, complications, strategies to increase success and pre-operative and post-operative management. RESULTS: Following revision 31 articles were included. Published works report an incidence of free flaps transplantations in burn patients ranging between 1.5 and 1.8%. Complication rate is high compared to other groups of patients, however, it decreases considerably if surgery is not performed between day 5 and 21 after burn injury. Imaging tests are not indispensable to select recipient vessels. It is advisable to keep body temperature over 36 °C, normovolemia and hematocrit between 30 and 40% avoiding hemoglobine values over 70 g/l. In the need of vasopressors norepinephrine and dobutamine are the drugs of choice. CONCLUSIONS: Microsurgery is uncommon but sometimes essential in burn treatment. This review may be valuable guiding not only clinical management of free flaps in burn patients but pointing towards new lines of research

Organización de unidades de quemados durante la pandemia por COVID-19: experiencia de 5 unidades de quemados / Organization of burn units during the COVID-19 pandemic: experience of 5 burn units

El 11 de marzo de 2020, el brote del coronavirus SARS-Cov-2 fue declarado pandemia global, suponiendo un reto para todos los sistemas sanitarios del mundo. Por este motivo, desde los distintos estados se ha llevado a cabo una reorganización de los sistemas nacionales de salud para lidiar con esta enfermedad. En este contexto han surgido nuevas recomendaciones en el manejo del paciente quirúrgico, posponiéndose las cirugías electivas. No obstante, la naturaleza urgente del tratamiento del paciente gran quemado es un hecho que justifica su tratamiento quirúrgico, incluso en casos afectados por el virus. La coincidencia de la precocidad e intensidad con que la pandemia afectó a España con la existencia de una escasa evidencia en cuanto a la organización de las unidades de quemados en este nuevo contexto, propició que la organización de cada centro surgiera de novo en función de sus circunstancias particulares. En este trabajo, exponemos los esquemas organizativos y la experiencia de 5 unidades de quemados, 4 españolas y 1 chilena, en su adaptación al contexto de la pandemia por COVID-19

On March 11th, a pandemic situation caused by the virus SARS-Cov-2 was declared, challenging health-care systems all over the world. Therefore, a reorganization of national health-care systems had to be performed in order to deal with this disease. In this context, new recommendations have appeared for the management of surgical patients, postponing elective surgeries. However, urgency in the treatment of burn patients is justified, even in those cases affected by the virus. The coincidence of the precocity and intensity with which the pandemic affected Spain, with the existence of scarce evidence regarding burn unit organization, caused that reorganization of each center had to be performed from scratch, adapting their particular circumstances. In this article, we expose the organizational schemes and the experience of 5 burn units, 4 in Spain and 1 more in Chile, in their adaptation to the COVID-19 pandemic

Polypeptide-corticosteroid conjugates as a topical treatment approach to psoriasis.

Topical treatment of mild-to-moderate psoriasis with corticosteroids suffers from challenges that include reduced drug bioavailability at the desired site of action. The retention of therapeutics within the epidermis can safely treat skin inflammation, scaling, and erythema associated with psoriasis while avoiding possible side effects associated with systemic treatments. We successfully synthesized and characterized a pH-responsive biodegradable poly-L-glutamic acid (PGA)-fluocinolone acetonide (FLUO) conjugate that allows the controlled release of the FLUO to reduce skin inflammation. Additionally, the application of a hyaluronic acid (HA)-poly-L-glutamate cross polymer (HA-CP) vehicle boosted skin permeation. During in vitro and ex vivo analyses, we discovered that PGA-FLUO inhibited pro-inflammatory cytokine release, suggesting that polypeptidic conjugation fails to affect the anti-inflammatory activity of FLUO. Additionally, ex vivo human skin permeation studies using confocal microscopy revealed the presence of PGA-FLUO within the epidermis, but a minimal presence in the dermis, thereby reducing the likelihood of FLUO entering the systemic circulation. Finally, we demonstrated that PGA-FLUO applied within HA-CP effectively reduced psoriasis-associated phenotypes in an in vivo mouse model of human psoriasis while also lowering levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in tissue and serum. Overall, our experimental results demonstrate that PGA-FLUO within an HA-CP penetration enhancer represents an effective topical treatment for psoriasis.

Instantaneous Specific Burn Debridement With an Enzymatic Debriding Agent: A New Resource for the Treatment of Burns.

Nexobrid is a new resource for debridement that has emerged in recent years and is gaining relevance in the treatment of all kinds of thermal injuries. This product is an ointment (formed with a mixture of pineapple-derived enzymes enriched with bromelain) that is directly applied over the burn. With a single application, it performs a burned tissue-specific debridement in less than 4 hr, leaving a vital and completely debrided wound bed. In this article, we describe our experience with this product, and through a representative case, we explain the management of these patients in our Burns unit in consonance with national and international consensus.

Eficacia del desbridamiento enzimático con Nexobrid(R) en quemaduras circulares en extremidades para la prevención del síndrome compartimental / Efficacy of enzymatic debridement with Nexobrid(R) in circular deep burns affecting limbs to prevent compartment syndrome

Introducción y Objetivo: El desbridante enzimático Nexobrid(R) permite la realización de una retirada precoz y selectiva del tejido quemado desde la primera valoración de la quemadura. En el contexto de sus indicaciones, se ha propuesto su uso en quemaduras circulares a modo de profilaxis/tratamiento del síndrome compartimental. El objetivo de este estudio es comparar la eficacia del desbridante enzimático frente a la realización de escarotomías en este tipo de circunstancias o en esta forma de presentación de la quemadura Material y Método: Realizamos una revisión retrospectiva de los pacientes atendidos en la Unidad de Grandes Quemados del Hospital La Fe de Valencia (España), desde enero de 2014 a enero de 2017 por quemaduras de segundo grado profundo y tercer grado con afectación circular de extremidades y cuyo mecanismo lesional fue escaldadura, contacto o llama. Resultados: Evaluamos los registros de 33 pacientes, de los que 25 recibieron tratamiento tradicional sin aplicación de desbridante enzimático y 8 fueron tratados con desbridamiento enzimático. En el primer grupo se realizaron 11 escarotomías (44%), mientras que en el segundo no se realizó ninguna. Estas diferencias fueron estadísticamente significativas (p<0.05). Conclusiones: La utilización del desbridante enzimático Nexobrid(R) podría relacionarse con la disminución de la realización de escarotomías en pacientes que sufren quemaduras circulares profundas con afectación de extremidades secundarias a escaldadura, llama o contacto, evitando la morbilidad asociada a este procedimiento

Background and Objective: The enzymatic debriding agent Nexobrid(R) allows for the performance of an early and selective debridement of burned tissues by the first evaluation of a burned patient. One of its most supported indications are circular deep burns, preventing and also treating the compartment syndrome. The aim of this article is to compare the efficacy of the enzymatic debriding versus escharotomy in this type of burns. Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of the medical records of patients attended at the Great Burns Unit of the Hospital La Fe of Valencia (Spain). The review included patients suffering deep second-degree and third-degree circular burns caused by scald, contact or flames, affecting lower or upper limbs, treated from January 2014 to January 2017. Results: Thirty three patients were included in the study, from which 25 were managed with the traditional treatment, and 8 with the enzymatic debriding agent Nexobrid(R). In the traditional treatment group, 11 escharotomies were performed, while the Nexobrid(R) group require none. This differences proved to be statistically significant (p<0.05). Conclusions: The use of the enzymatic debriding agent Nexobrid(R) can avoid or reduce the need of the performance of escharotomies in patients suffering from circular deep burns affecting limbs, preventing the morbidity associated to this procedure

EHTIC study: Evaluation of a new hemostatic agent based on tissue factor in skin grafting procedures.

BACKGROUND: Excessive bleeding is a major concern in scar debridement and grafting procedures. TT-173 is a new topical hemostatic agent based on recombinant human tissue factor that has shown promising results in patients who underwent tooth extraction. EHTIC study sought to evaluate the efficacy and safety of TT-173 to reduce the bleeding in donor sites of skin grafting procedures. METHODS: EHTIC study was a phase II, randomized, parallel, double blind, placebo controlled trial. Patients received TT-173 (n=38) or placebo (n=33) sprayed over donor site after graft harvest. Time to hemostasis and incidence of adverse events were recorded. Systemic absorption of the product and its immunogenicity were also measured during the follow up of the subjects. RESULTS: Treatment with TT-173 significantly reduced the bleeding time from 7 to 3min (Log-Rank p<0.0001). Moreover, bleeding stopped within the 10min of evaluation period in all the patients that received TT-173. In contrast, 24.24% of patients from placebo group required additional measures to arrest hemorrhage (Fisher p=0.0013). Product related adverse events, systemic absorption into blood stream, interferences with the healing of the donor site or immunogenic reaction against TT-173 were not observed. CONCLUSION: The new hemostatic agent TT-173 has proven efficacious and safe to reduce the bleeding from donor site. This study paves the way for further investigation of the product as topical hemostatic treatment in plastic surgery and other surgical indications.

Candidemia in major burns patients.

Major burn patients have characteristics that make them especially susceptible to candidemia, but few studies focused on this have been published. The objectives were to evaluate the epidemiological, microbiological and clinical aspects of candidemia in major burn patients, determining factors associated with a poorer prognosis and mortality. We conducted a retrospective observational study of candidemia between 1996 and 2012 in major burn patients admitted to the La Fe University Hospital, Valencia, Spain. The study included 36 episodes of candidemia in the same number of patients, 55.6% men, mean age 37.33 years and low associated comorbidity. The incidence of candidemia varied between 0.26 and 6.09 episodes/1000 days stay in the different years studied. Candida albicans was the most common species (61.1%) followed by Candida parapsilosis (27.8%). Candidemia by C. krusei, C. glabrata or C. tropicalis were all identified after 2004. Central vascular catheter (CVC) was established as a potential source of candidemia in 36.1%, followed by skin and soft tissues of thermal injury (22.2%) and urinary tract (8.3%). Fluconazole was used in 19 patients (52.7%) and its in vitro resistance rate was 13.9%. The overall mortality was 47.2%, and mortality related to candidemia was 30.6%. Factors associated with increased mortality were those related to severe infection and shock. CVC was the most usual focus of candidemia. Fluconazole was the most common antifungal drug administered. The management of candidemia in major burn patients is still a challenge.