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CME

Acute Burn Care


Michael Bezuhly, F.R.C.S.C.
Learning Objectives: After studying this article and accompanying Supplemen-
Joel S. Fish, F.R.C.S.C. tal Digital Content, the participant should be able to: 1. Explain current burn-
Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Toronto, prevention strategies and criteria for referral to a burn center. 2. Summarize the
Ontario, Canada current advances made in the critical care of acute burn patients. 3. Outline the
recent developments in burn depth assessment and burn wound dressing tech-
nology. 4. Describe the common psychosocial aspects of postburn rehabilitation.
Summary: Burn patients require interdisciplinary care in which the plastic surgeon
plays a prominent role. Appropriate referral, assessment, treatment, and posttreat-
ment supports are essential to achieving favorable outcomes following burn injury.
The authors reviewed the current literature on epidemiology, prevention, referral
criteria, critical care, wound assessment, wound dressings, and psychosocial aspects
of burn injury. Recent advances in burn care are highlighted and have been made
possible through ongoing collaborative epidemiologic, clinical, and basic biomed-
ical research. A systematic interdisciplinary approach to the evaluation and
treatment of acute burn injuries is pivotal to providing patients with the greatest
chance of functional recovery. Plastic surgeons treating burn patients must remain
current in a wide variety of areas, ranging from critical care to psychosocial
rehabilitation. (Plast. Reconstr. Surg. 130: 349e, 2012.)

B
urn patients require interdisciplinary team itates collaboration with other centers.1 Although
care. This has led to the establishment of the general prevalence of major burns continues to
specialized burn centers around the world. decrease, since 2001 there has been a worldwide
This article serves as a general update on recent increase in the incidence of burn injuries among
advances in the different aspects of burn care for elderly patients accompanied by a decrease in the
plastic surgeons who may not be members of a mortality rate for older burn patients.2,3
specialized burn program but who, as plastic sur-
geons, must nevertheless have an appreciation for BURN CARE DELIVERY
the complex issues involved in caring for severe Major burn patients represent one of the most
burn patients. severe examples of trauma and, as such, require
highly specialized care. Such care has been cen-
EPIDEMIOLOGY tralized into burn care centers around the world.
The incidence of major burn injuries in North In North America and Australia, clear guidelines
America continues to decrease. Despite falling have been established in terms of burn care de-
numbers of major burns, multi-institutional re- livery and the organization of burn centers.4 Burn
views of major burn injuries continue to bear fruit center verification criteria have been in place
because of the National Burn Repository, a data- since 2006, with centers in North America and
base established in the early 1990s that draws data
from participating North American burn centers.
The National Burn Repository allows for individual Disclosure: The authors have no financial interest
centers to have comparison population-based data to declare in relation to the content of this article.
such as morbidity and mortality statistics, and facil-

From the IWK Health Center, Division of Plastic and Re-


constructive Surgery, Dalhousie University, and the Hospital
for Sick Children, Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Related Video content is available for this ar-
Surgery, University of Toronto. ticle. The videos can be found under the “Re-
Received for publication March 10, 2011; accepted January lated Videos” section of the full-text article, or,
24, 2012. for Ovid users, using the URL citations pub-
Copyright ©2012 by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons lished in the article.
DOI: 10.1097/PRS.0b013e318258d530

www.PRSJournal.com 349e
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery • August 2012

Australia participating.5 This review sets standards PREVENTION


for the organization, personnel, resources, and The falling incidence of major burn injury in
services required for a burn center. It is not cur- developed countries is in part attributable to pre-
rently mandatory for all burn centers to be veri- vention efforts that include fire-safe cigarettes, leg-
fied; however, it is likely that this will become an islation for prevention of methamphetamine lab-
expected mark of distinction as was seen with oratories, and fused leads for multimeters.9 (See
trauma program verification over the past decade. Video, Supplemental Digital Content 1, which
Not all burn programs are created equal, and for shows use of multimeters to prevent electrical in-
the nonspecialist looking to refer cases, knowing juries, including a demonstration of where pre-
what regional burn centers have passed verifica- vention has had an impact in reducing or almost
tion is invaluable information. Verified centers eliminating electrical flash injury among electrical
tend to have survival rates comparable to those of workers. Available in the “Related Videos” section
nonverified centers, despite the fact that they tend of the full-text article on PRSJournal.com or, for
to admit more patients and more severely injured Ovid users, at http://links.lww.com/PRS/A526.)
patients.6 Governments and third-party payers are Worldwide, burn injury is still a major source of
death and disability and remains a disease of low-
also aware of this change and are preferentially
and middle-income populations. A disproportion-
looking to accredited facilities that provide high
ate number of burn injuries occur among racial
standards of care. As shown in Table 1, the Amer- and ethnic minorities. Socioeconomic status,
ican Burn Association has established burn center more than cultural or educational factors, ac-
referral criteria to help guide decisions regarding counts for most of this apparent increased suscep-
triage and transfer based on patient age, injury tibility, particularly in pediatric burns (Fig. 1).
mechanism and extent, and other factors that may Burn survivors of low socioeconomic status are
complicate burn wound management.7 Despite frequently from poor communities without finan-
these clear criteria, in a recent study by Carter et cial means to pay for surgery and treatments for
al. of 952 burn patients treated in nonburn cen- aesthetic improvement (Fig. 2).
ters, 48 percent met criteria for transfer to a burn The past decade has finally witnessed effective
center. Patients with Medicare were more likely prevention using education, engineering changes,
not to be referred to a burn center despite meet- enforcement of legislative protection, and environ-
ing referral criteria.8

Table 1. Burn Center Referral Criteria*


1. Partial-thickness burns ⬎10% of the total body surface
area
2. Burns that involve the face, hands, feet, genitalia,
perineum, or major joint
3. Third-degree burns in any age group
4. Electrical burns, including lightning injury
5. Chemical burns
6. Inhalation injury
7. Burn injury in patients with preexisting medical
disorders that could complicate management, prolong
recovery, or affect mortality
8. Any patients with burns and concomitant trauma
(such as fractures) in which the burn injury poses the
greatest risk of morbidity or mortality. In such cases, if
the trauma poses the greater immediate risk, the
patient’s condition may be stabilized initially in a
trauma center before transfer to a burn center.
Physician judgment will be necessary in such situations
and should be in concert with the regional medical Video 1. Supplemental Digital Content 1, demonstrating the
control plan and triage protocols
9. Burned children in hospitals without qualified use of multimeters to prevent electrical injuries, including a dem-
personnel or equipment for the care of children onstration of where prevention has had an impact in reducing or
10. Burn injury in patients who will require special social, almost eliminating electrical flash injury among electrical work-
emotional, or rehabilitative intervention
ers, is available in the “Related Videos” section of the full-text
*From the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma.
Guidelines for the Operation of Burn Units: Resources for Optimal Care of the article on PRSJournal.com or, for Ovid users, at http://links.lww.
Injured Patient. Chicago: American College of Surgeons; 2006. com/PRS/A526.

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Volume 130, Number 2 • Acute Burn Care

Fig. 1. Photographs showing pediatric burn caused by scald that was treated with dressings for 3 months (the child was
aged 3 years) in an underdeveloped country. Now aged 12 years, the patient has fully mature secondary contractures of
(left) ears and (right) upper limb that now require staged reconstruction. The social impact for this child is impossible to
measure and includes living in a new country to obtain reconstruction and having grown up with a physical deformity that
is largely correctable and now has become an issue with the onset of early adolescence.

Fig. 2. Photograph showing pediatric scald burn sustained


while the child was wandering in the kitchen during cooking
and with the adult unaware that the child was nearby. Prevent-
able accidents such as this represent a significant percentage of
the pediatric scald burns still occurring worldwide. Fig. 3. Acid burn to the face resulting from a marital disagree-
ment resulting in loss of vision and severe permanent facial scar-
ring. Prevention of this cause has been successful through lob-
mental modifications. A poignant example of this is bying efforts to increase global awareness of this issue.
the Acid Survivors Foundation of Bangladesh, which
has been working to reduce acid attacks for the past
10 years (Fig. 3). It has also successfully fostered BEST PRACTICE RESEARCH
advocacy and lobbied governments and enforce- COLLABORATION
ment agencies in Cambodia, India, Pakistan, and To provide “best practice” data required to
Uganda.10 Another exciting development in world- advance the specialty, the American Burn Associ-
wide acute care has been the partnering of the In- ation has established the Multicenter Trials
ternational Society of Burn Injuries with the World Group. To date, the majority of studies published
Health Organization to create a 10-year plan.11 by the Multicenter Trials Group have been retro-

351e
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery • August 2012

spective reviews that have reported on the status of being actively researched both in burn patients
burn care in North America. More recently, how- and in critically ill patients.12,13
ever, the Group has initiated a number of pro- Rates of blood transfusion have generally
spective studies examining topics including blood dropped with the knowledge that outcomes of
transfusion triggers, outcomes of military person- critically injured patients are improved with con-
nel and civilians after burn injury, scar contrac- servative treatment. Guidelines in the critical care
ture, and rehabilitation treatment. (See Video, literature have been adopted in many burn units.
Supplemental Digital Content 2, which shows the There is no current literature that supports an
Multicenter Trials Group, whose work constitutes ideal “transfusion” threshold. In addition to this,
an up-to-date accounting of the first series of mul- the use of tumescent solutions and tourniquets to
ticenter trials for burn care and will have a pro- limit blood loss continues to draw interest and
found effect on the delivery of burn care over the support. (See Video, Supplemental Digital Con-
next 10 years. Available in the “Related Videos” tent 3, which shows the tumescent technique for
section of the full-text article on PRSJournal.com burn excision. A discussion of blood-conserving
or, for Ovid users, available at http://links.lww.com/ strategies that are safe and practical is included.
PRS/A527.) Available in the “Related Videos” section of the
full-text article on PRSJournal.com or, for Ovid
users, available at http://links.lww.com/PRS/A528.)
CRITICAL CARE The technique of surgical excision of the burn
Although the majority of plastic surgeons do wound using tourniquets and/or tumescence re-
not practice in critical care, there have been many quires an organized approach. The clinical guides
advances in burn care related to the critically in- for the depth of tangential excision have been
jured burn patient. The changes in critical care as described as the three “Ps”: pale yellow fat, pearly
they relate to the burn patient require additional white dermis, and patent vessels.14 (See Video,
specialized training that is beyond the required Supplemental Digital Content 4, which shows the
scope of most plastic surgery residency programs. three “Ps” of surgical excision of burn eschar and
Improved survival from major burn injury has re- a demonstration of the surgical technique to eval-
sulted from a number of recent advances in critical uate burn depth excision under tourniquet con-
care. trol, available in the “Related Videos” section of
Tight glycemic control has been shown to de- the full-text article on PRSJournal.com or, for
crease rates of sepsis and mortality. It is currently Ovid users, at http://links.lww.com/PRS/A529.)
There is evidence for the use of steroid-based
medications in the management of acute burn

Video 2. Supplemental Digital Content 2, which shows the Mul-


ticenter Trials Group, whose work constitutes an up-to-date ac- Video 3. Supplemental Digital Content 3, demonstrating the
counting of the first series of multicenter trials for burn care and tumescent technique for burn excision, and including a dis-
will have a profound effect on the delivery of burn care over the cussion of blood-conserving strategies that are safe and
next 10 years, is available in the “Related Videos” section of the practical, is available in the “Related Videos” section of the
full-text article on PRSJournal.com or, for Ovid users, at http:// full-text article on PRSJournal.com or, for Ovid users, at http://
links.lww.com/PRS/A527. links.lww.com/PRS/A528.

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Volume 130, Number 2 • Acute Burn Care

cept of “closed loop resuscitation” for burns has


also been introduced. Although not yet applied
clinically, the research in this area and its appli-
cability to mass casualty situations make it likely to
become a clinical reality.19

TELEMEDICINE
In parts of the world with few and relatively
inaccessible regional centers, telemedicine has
had a positive influence. Telemedicine allows for
patients to be accurately triaged to limited facili-
ties and to be followed closer to home while still
receiving monitoring from experts for potential
reconstruction and ongoing rehabilitation.20 Sim-
ilarly, in a military setting, telemedicine can facil-
itate timely and consistent triage of burn patients
from remote front-line medical providers in aus-
tere environments to rear-based specialists.21

Video 4. Supplemental Digital Content 4, which shows the BURN DEPTH ASSESSMENT
three “Ps” of surgical excision of burn eschar and demonstrates The ability to quickly and accurately diagnose
the surgical technique to evaluate burn depth excision under burn depth will likely represent the next paradigm
tourniquet control, is available in the “Related Videos” section of shift in improving burn care.22 Currently, the de-
the full-text article on PRSJournal.com or, for Ovid users, at http:// termination of burn depth based on clinical ex-
links.lww.com/PRS/A529. amination is only 70 percent accurate, making it
difficult to effectively stratify burn wounds and
thereby evaluate new wound care technologies in
injury. In two prospective, randomized, double- reproducible ways. The use of laser Doppler scan-
blind, placebo-controlled trials, oxandrolone, a ning shows promise in improving burn depth ac-
synthetic testosterone derivative, administered in curacy, with reports indicating that “machine” is
the acute postburn period to patients with mod- better than “man.” (See Video, Supplemental Dig-
erate to large burns (20 to 70 percent total body ital Content 5, which shows burn depth assessment
surface area burn) demonstrated significantly and includes a review of accurate burn depth as-
lower net weight and nitrogen losses, and shorter sessment using laser Doppler technology and
length of hospital stay and time to wound healing. newer technologies, is available in the “Related
A mild asymptomatic elevation of liver function Videos” section of the full-text article on PRSJour-
tests has been reported in approximately half of nal.com or, for Ovid users, at http://links.lww.com/
patients treated with oxandrolone.15,16 PRS/A530.) The technology remains expensive
Burn resuscitation has resulted in the phe- and can also be difficult to learn and incorporate
nomenon of “fluid creep,” which describes in- into a busy practice. The nonspecialist practitio-
creased fluid volumes required for resuscitation, ner would benefit from a simpler, less expensive
possibly secondary to sedation/analgesia. These device that would accurately predict deeper injury.
increased fluid volumes have led to an increased
incidence of abdominal compartment syndrome in TOPICAL ANTIMICROBIAL BURN
the past decade.17,18 The concept of fluid creep has WOUND DRESSINGS
further fueled the ongoing debate over the use of Topical antimicrobial agents are an integral
crystalloid versus colloid resuscitation. Modern re- part of burn injury treatment. For superficial
suscitation parameters include more than just burns, the antimicrobial dressing should facilitate
urine output, blood pressure, and mental aware- reepithelialization by providing a moist, clean en-
ness as originally practiced. There is a host of vironment. For deeper burns that will require ex-
literature that supports the use of many additional cision and grafting, the intention of the burn
parameters more readily available in the critical wound dressing is to reduce bacterial colonization
care unit, such as base deficit, central venous pres- until grafting occurs. The reader is referred to a
sure, hematocrit, and bladder pressure. The con- number of excellent reviews of the numerous oint-

353e
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery • August 2012

low more rapid reepithelialization.31–35 Moreover,


a longer interval of time between dressing changes
leads to improved patient comfort and decreased
total costs. Dressing selection should be based on
local wound and patient factors, and local nursing
knowledge and ability to support the use of a par-
ticular product. In the case of an exudative wound,
for example, Aquacel AG is particularly effective
because of hydrofiber properties.36 This product
has had impact on the very common scald burn,
particularly among children. (See Video, Supple-
mental Digital Content 6, which shows the use of
Aquacel AG for burn wounds, including a discus-
sion of one particular technique of a closed dress-
ing technique used for the most commonly en-
countered scald burn, available in the “Related
Video 5. Supplemental Digital Content 5, which shows burn Videos” section of the full-text article on PRSJour-
depth assessment and includes a review of accurate burn depth nal.com or, for Ovid users, at http://links.lww.com/
assessment using laser Doppler technology and newer technol- PRS/A531.)
ogies, is available in the “Related Videos” section of the full-text The practical use of the many products
article on PRSJournal.com or, for Ovid users, at http://links.lww. brought to market can be confusing, and compa-
com/PRS/A530. nies sometimes attempt to extrapolate. The use of
a specific dressing requires the knowledge, not
only of the plastic surgeon but also of the entire
ments, creams, and dressings available to achieve inpatient and outpatient nursing and support
these goals.23,24 staff. Recently, there has been renewed interest in
Silver-based dressings have a long history and honey, a topical agent with a history as old as that
remain a mainstay of topical burn treatment.25 of silver.37 Honey likely inhibits bacterial prolifer-
Silver ions disrupt DNA replication and the elec- ation by means of its high osmolarity and through
tron transport chain, resulting in bactericidal ac- direct antimicrobial activities. In several trials, mi-
tivity against a broad spectrum of microorganisms nor burns treated with honey showed shorter heal-
including Gram-positive and Gram-negative bac-
teria, fungi, and some viruses.26 –28 Silver sulfadia-
zine remains the best known and most widely used
silver-based antimicrobial agent for burns.29
In recent decades, there has been a prolif-
eration of dressings that elute nanocrystalline
silver. Nanocrystalline dressings have better an-
timicrobial activity (including against methicillin-
resistant Staphylococcus aureus) than earlier formu-
lations such as silver sulfadiazine because they
provide rapid, sustained delivery of silver ions to
the biological site.30 These newer formulations are
manufactured with nanocrystalline silver embed-
ded in high-density polyethylene mesh (Acticoat;
Smith & Nephew, Hull, United Kingdom), hydro-
fiber (Aquacel AG; ConvaTec, Princeton, N.J.), or
soft silicone foam (Mepilex AG; Mölnlycke Health
Care, Dunstable, United Kingdom). All of the var-
ious choices allow for the selection of a product to Video 6. Supplemental Digital Content 6, which shows the use
be placed on the wound and left for several days, of Aquacel AG for burn wounds and includes a discussion of one
making them financially sound despite higher particular technique of a closed dressing technique used for the
product costs. Several studies have demonstrated most commonly encountered scald burn, is available in the “Re-
that such formulations are equally effective in pre- lated Videos” section of the full-text article on PRSJournal.com or,
venting infections than older formulations but al- for Ovid users, at http://links.lww.com/PRS/A531.

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Volume 130, Number 2 • Acute Burn Care

ing times compared with conventional dressings because of its high cost and occasionally severe septic
such as silver sulfadiazine.38,39 Systematic reviews of complications.45,46 Another permanent wound cov-
these and earlier studies have similarly shown the erage product is AlloDerm (LifeCell Corp., The
use of honey to accelerate healing of minor Woodlands, Texas). This acellular human dermal
burns.40,41 Although these findings are provoca- allograft replaces part of the missing dermis, thereby
tive, the studies included in the systematic reviews reducing scarring. Like Integra, it too must be cov-
were generally of poor quality because of a failure ered by a thin split-thickness autograft.
to state the method of randomization. Cultured autologous epithelial cells, also
known as cultured epithelial autograft, have been
SKIN SUBSTITUTES used by burn surgeons for over 30 years and are
Excised burn wounds can usually be covered used to provide permanent skin coverage of mas-
quickly, safely, and permanently using skin au- sive burns.47 The grafts are grown from a full-
tografts. Under some circumstances, however, au- thickness skin biopsy specimen into thin, fragile
tologous skin grafting is not advisable. Such in- sheets using standard tissue culture techniques
stances include the presence of a grossly infected and then attached to petrolatum gauze carriers to
or nonviable wound bed, the absence of adequate facilitate handling. The major drawbacks of cul-
donor skin, or when the patient is too ill to tolerate tured epithelial autografts are high cost, poor en-
the additional morbidity of a donor site. In such graftment, and poor long-term durability. Most of
cases, skin substitutes may prove invaluable to the limitations of cultured epithelial autografts are
maintain the viability of the wound bed and to attributable to the absence of an underlying der-
decrease infection, pain, and metabolic stress. mis and epidermal-dermal attachments. To im-
Skin substitutes may be temporary or perma- prove their success, cultured epithelial autografts
nent. Temporary skin substitutes must eventually have been applied or even directly cultured over
be replaced by autologous skin grafts in immuno- vascularized dermal allograft or over a variety of
competent patients. The criterion standard for collagen-glycosaminoglycan scaffolds.48 –51
such skin substitutes is fresh human cadaveric al- With the increasing costs of acute burn care
lograft. Given the limited shelf life of fresh allo- and the explosion of newer wound care products
graft, however, most tissue banks instead carry and skin substitutes, in 2009 the American Burn
cryopreserved allograft that may be stored indef- Association published the so-called White Paper.52
initely and thawed when needed. Other tempo- This document was “intended for Medicare and
rary skin substitutes include xenografts (also Medicaid contractors, nongovernmental third
known as heterografts), most commonly porcine party payers and interested professionals outside
in origin. Amniotic membrane helps to reduce healthcare reimbursement with a current, author-
bacterial counts and provides excellent homeo- itative clinical reference.” It clearly outlines what
stasis to wound beds but is rarely used because of falls within the standard of care for burn wounds
its limited availability, fragility, and high cost, and and is particularly useful in an environment where
because of concerns over disease transmission.42 practitioners are facing increasing administrative
Biobrane (Smith & Nephew) is a cost-effective pressure to justify their choice of wound care prod-
dressing composed of a silicone membrane fused ucts or skin substitutes that are expensive and may
to a nylon fabric coated with porcine dermal col- not be routinely used but are still appropriate.
lagen that is particularly useful for short-term
coverage.43 Its main drawback is susceptibility to PSYCHOSOCIAL ASPECTS OF
infection.44 BURN INJURIES
There are several products that may be used to Psychological morbidity is extremely common
assist in permanent wound coverage. The most following severe burn injury, with clinical evidence
widely used product for permanent wound cover- of acute stress disorder, posttraumatic stress dis-
age is Integra (Integra LifeSciences, Plainsboro, order, or depression observed in up to 45 percent
N.J.). This bilaminar “artificial skin” is composed of adult survivors.53–56 Predictors of psychiatric
of an inner layer of bovine collagen and chon- morbidity include increased total body surface
droitin-6-sulfate and an outer layer of silicone area burned, premorbid affective and anxiety dis-
sheeting. After approximately 2 weeks, the outer orders or anxious personality traits, and female
layer is removed and replaced by a thin split-thick- sex.55,56 In the acute stage of burn treatment, the
ness autograft. Although it has been shown to major objectives of psychosocial support are to
reduce scarring and pruritus, Integra has failed to prevent delirium, optimize pain control, and re-
become the standard of care in most centers, likely duce sleep disturbances.53 (See Video, Supple-

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Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery • August 2012

mental Digital Content 7, which shows pain con- wide variety of areas, ranging from critical care to
trol and hypnosis in acute burn care, including a psychosocial rehabilitation.
discussion of the treatment of pain in burns and
Joel S. Fish, M.D., M.Sc.
new technology uses of virtual reality hypnosis that Hospital for Sick Children
are available, available in the “Related Videos” 555 University Avenue, Room 5410
section of the full-text article on PRSJournal.com Toronto, Ontario M5G 1X8, Canada
or, for Ovid users, at http://links.lww.com/PRS/ joel.fish@sickkids.ca
A532.)
A number of studies have examined long-term PATIENT CONSENT
functional outcomes in burn patients. Burn pa- Parents or guardians or the patient provided written
tients tend to have diminished health-related qual- consent for use of the patients’ images.
ity of life.55,57 Predictors of poor long-term health-
related quality of life include a premorbid ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
psychiatric disorder, longer hospital stay, and am- The authors recognize the contributions of Drs. Rob-
putation. The visibility of burn scars has not been ert Cartotto (University of Toronto), Jeffrey Saffle (Uni-
shown to predict poorer function.58 Long-term versity of Utah), and David Patterson (University of
psychosocial treatment should be multifaceted Washington) for willingly providing them with their
and address concerns regarding return to work, original work in the form of presentations/videos to en-
family dynamics, and sexual dysfunction. Modal- hance this CME article.
ities include outpatient counseling, support
groups, peer counseling, and vocational and social REFERENCES
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