Improving Nutritional Support of Burn Service Patients by Increasing the Number of Days When 100% of Prescribed Formula Is Given.

The authors sought to increase the number of days when burn service patients receive 100% of prescribed enteral nutrition. The authors first performed a retrospective review of 37 patients (group 1) receiving enteral nutrition. The authors then created and implemented a nurse-directed feeding algorithm, placing patients into three age groups addressing maximum hourly infusion rates, high residual limits, initiating feeding, refeeding residuals, and replacing formula.

Microbial contamination in burn patients undergoing urgent intubation as part of their early airway management.

Inhalation injuries occur in approximately one third of all major burns and account for a significant number of deaths in burn patients each year. Previous studies have examined ventilator-associated pneumonia in patients with inhalation injury, but no study to date has evaluated the incidence of bacterial contamination of the airways on admission in patients with inhalation injuries. Because pulmonary complications have been found to cause or directly contribute to mortality in as high as 77% of patients, with combined inhalation injury and thermal injury, early detection of community-acquired pneumonia may significantly alter treatment outcomes.

A silver-coated antimicrobial barrier dressing used postoperatively on meshed autografts: a dressing comparison study.

In an effort to optimize the management of freshly grafted burn wounds, a silver-coated, low-adherence dressing, Acticoat (Smith & Nephew Inc., Largo, FL), was compared with 5% sulfamylon-soaked Exu-Dry burn wound dressings. Twenty subjects admitted to the Loyola University Medical Center were randomized to either Acticoat dressings or 5% sulfamylon-soaked burn wound dressings.