A Descriptive Study of Hospital- and Community-acquired Pressure Ulcers/Injuries.

Unlabelled: Hospital-acquired pressure ulcers/injuries (HAPU/I) have been a major focus of research, but information about community-acquired pressure ulcer/injuries (CAPU/I) is limited.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare HAPU/I and CAPU/I in a 620-bed academic medical center in the western United States.

Methods: This descriptive study involved prospective/retrospective data collected from the National Data for Nursing Quality Indicators, including pressure ulcer stage (January 1, 2015, through December 31, 2017); the hospital's incident reporting system (January 1, 2017, through December 31, 2017); electronic medical records (EMR) as needed for verification; and the hospital's pressure ulcer registry (January 1, 2012, through December 31, 2017), developed by both EMR and manual extraction.

A New Injury Prevention Target: Summer Hair Braids.

Scald injuries caused by hair braiding have become increasingly common in our pediatric burn center's African-American population. This injury mechanism has received little attention in the medical literature. To guide prevention, the present study aims to characterize this novel mechanism of injury and identify patterns underlying its frequency.

The Unrecognized Epidemic of Electronic Cigarette Burns.

Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are novel battery-operated devices that deliver nicotine as an inhaled aerosol. They originated from China in 2007 and their use has rapidly increased worldwide in the past decade, yet they remain largely unregulated. Reports of injuries associated with their use have appeared as unusual events in the news media and as case reports in the medical literature.

Peri-Procedure Laser Scar Therapy Protocol: A Pilot Survey of Plastic Surgeons' Practices.

Background: Scar management using laser phototherapy continues to evolve as it gains wide acceptance among patients and providers. Despite widespread use of laser therapy, there are no guidelines or consensus published regarding optimal pre- and post-procedure patient management. Our objective is to gain insight into the best laser practices; we decided to poll colleagues nationwide.

Autologous fat grafting does not improve burn scar appearance: A prospective, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, pilot study.

Objective: It has been proposed that fat grafts can improve the appearance of mature burn scars. The pluripotent progenitor cells contained within autologous adipose tissue grafts are believed to induce skin repair and improve scar appearance. We conducted a prospective, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study to evaluate the effects of fat grafts on the appearance of mature burn scars.

Invasive Conidiobolomycosis Can Be Successfully Treated on Burn Survivors.

Conidiobolus infection is difficult to diagnose and treat. We report successful treatment of invasive conidiobolomycosis, only one third such report is in the literature, and the first case reported was on a burn survivor. Our patient is also the first case reported on an adult surviving conidiobolomycosis.

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.

Hospital-acquired pressure ulcer prevention: a burn surgeon's team approach.

Hospital-acquired pressure ulcers (HAPUs) are a problem that has been under increased scrutiny in recent years. To help reduce the incidence of HAPUs and to improve their management, a burn unit-centered wound care team was established. The team decided to pursue two goals: to identify opportunities for improvement that may help prevent HAPUs and to evaluate all available support surfaces to identify those that might best help with pressure redistribution.

Honey oil burns: a growing problem.

There is an emerging mechanism of burn injury as a result of the ignition of butane, during the manufacture of a tetrahydrocannabinol concentrate known as butane honey oil. The authors report of a series of patients who presented with this mechanism of injury and a description of the process that causes these burns. Patient data were gathered from the medical records of eight patients treated at the University of California Davis Medical Center and Shriners Hospital of Northern California.

Review of epinephrine solution use in 400 consecutive cases of burn reconstruction. Are infusion pumps safe?

Infiltration of diluted epinephrine solutions is often used in reconstructive surgery to produce local vasoconstriction and minimize bleeding. A total of 400 burn reconstruction procedures were performed with the aid of epinephrine solution between July 2008 and July 2011. We used to consider this practice very safe, but after encountering several complications, we decided to perform a retrospective review to look at all complications in detail and identify opportunities to improve safety.

Mini-abdominoplasty in burn reconstruction.

The excision of excessive fat and subcutaneous tissue in the infraumbilical region, also known as "mini-abdominoplasty, " can be used to harvest skin for burn reconstruction. The resultant full-thickness grafts are less prone to contracture than split-thickness grafts. They are particularly useful in areas where mobility is important, such as the neck and areas overlying major joints.

The ABC daycare disaster of Hermosillo, Mexico.

On June 5, 2009, the ABC Daycare facility in Hermosillo, Mexico, caught on fire with an estimated 142 children and 6 adult caregivers inside. The purpose of this article is to describe the factors contributing to the disaster including care of the survivors, tertiary burn center triage, patient transport, and treatment for this international mass casualty event. Finally, the results of an investigation performed by the Mexican Government are reviewed.

Burn unit experience treating giant melanocytic nevi: 10-year review.

Giant congenital melanocytic nevi (GCMN) are rare lesions that are present in 1 in every 20,000 new births. A 10-year review of all patients treated at a pediatric burn center was performed with the goal of identifying the characteristics of patients with GCMN and the outcomes of the treatment provided in a burn center. Thirty-six patients met the definition of GCMN; 64% were female and 36% were male.

Local tissue flaps: definitive treatment for chronic blisters after chemical burns.

Chronic blistering in grafted burn wounds is an infrequently described but severely debilitating complication that can appear after alkali burns and seems to coincide with a delay in initial treatment. Histological studies have concluded that the pathogenesis of chronic subepidermal blister formation in previously grafted burn wounds is related to abnormalities in the basement membrane. Although several reports have described this problem, none have reported adequate treatment for the chronic blistering in previously grafted alkali burns.

Ultrasound-assisted percutaneous trigger finger release: is it safe?

Trigger fingers can be treated by open or percutaneous division of the A1 pulley. The open approach allows for visualization of the pulley, the tendon, and the adjacent neurovascular bundles. The percutaneous trigger finger release (PTFR) lacks an incision and is thought to lead to a quicker recovery, but the safety and efficacy of this blind procedure are often questioned.

Thigh burn associated with laptop computer use.

Laptop computers are an uncommon source of burns to the thighs and perineum. Burns can result from the prolonged contact of hot surfaces at the base of the computer with the user's lap. The authors report a case of second-degree burns to the thigh of an otherwise healthy patient that resulted from prolonged use of the laptop.