Systematic Reviews in Burns Care: Poor Quality and Getting Worse.

The objective of this article is to investigate adherence to reporting standards and methodological quality in systematic reviews on burns care published in peer-reviewed journals to determine their utility for guiding evidence-based burns care. PubMed, Embase, Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Database of Systematic Reviews and Implementation Reports were searched from 2009. Any systematic review on any question on therapeutic interventions in burns care was eligible for inclusion.

The implementation of best practice in medication administration across a health network: a multisite evidence-based audit and feedback project.

Background: Medication errors present a significant risk to patient safety. The "rights" of medication administration represent one approach to potentially reducing this risk.

Objectives: The aim of this project was to implement an evidence-based audit and feedback project to improve compliance with best practice in this area across a health network.

The development of an evidence based resource for burns care.

Objective: There currently exists a need for evidence-based information and tools in burns care. It was therefore the aim of a working party of the Joanna Briggs Institute to establish an evidence based resource to assist professionals in the burns community to practice evidence based healthcare.

Methods: After receiving initial funding to create this resource, a steering committee was developed consisting of representatives of the funding agencies and Joanna Briggs Institute staff.

Physical and quality of life outcomes of patients with isolated hand burns--a prospective audit.

Hand burns can have major implications on function, appearance, and quality of life. Our clinical practice has changed over the last 10 years, with a steady increase in the proportion of hand burns receiving early and aggressive surgical management using Biobrane® sheets/gloves and a concomitant fall in the proportion requiring excision and split skin grafting. The aim of this study was to measure a comprehensive range of outcomes for patients admitted with isolated hand burns to review our outcomes and provide us with the "expected" patterns of recovery.

Developing clinical quality indicators for a Bi-National Burn Registry.

Background: Clinical quality indicators are routinely used to benchmark and drive improvements in healthcare. There is a dearth of standardised clinical quality indicators established for management of burns that allow quality of care to be monitored and benchmarked across Australia and New Zealand.

Method: Using published quality indicator development processes and clinician experience, the Bi-National Burn Registry (Bi-NBR) working party developed quality indicators for burn care to be included as routine data items in the Bi-NBR.

Social issues prolong elderly burn patient hospitalization.

A retrospective audit of length of hospital inpatient stay of all patients admitted to the Royal Adelaide Hospital Burns Unit over a 5-year period was performed. Data gathered from the Burns Unit database and records allowed patient division into two comparison groups: those younger than 70 years and those aged 70 years or older. Further comparison based on discharge destination was made in the ≥70 years group.

Organisational challenges when enabling ease of access for the elderly around a large acute hospital campus.

This paper describes one of several projects undertaken in a large acute care hospital under the banner of 'TOPIC7' The Older Person and Improving Care. It was conducted between January and November 2008. Although driven by the Royal Adelaide Hospital Nursing Service it was undertaken within a multidisciplinary framework.

Experience with biobrane: uses and caveats for success.

Objective: To present some of our experience with Biobrane (a total of 703 patients in 7 years) in a range of uses in burn practice and to illustrate the caveats that we have found applicable in maintaining our success with this versatile material.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of theatre records, medical notes, and photography database to categorize our experience with Biobrane. Thorough assessment of our surgical and nursing protocols (both literature and experience influenced) to identify caveats for successful use.