Tammy Coffee

Outcomes of outpatient management of pediatric burns.

The literature surrounding pediatric burns has focused on inpatient management. The goal of this study is to characterize the population of burned children treated as outpatients and assess outcomes validating this method of burn care. A retrospective review of 953 patients treated the burn clinic and burn unit of a tertiary care center. Patient age, burn etiology, burn characteristics, burn mechanism, and referral pattern were recorded. The type of wound care and incidence of outcomes including subsequent hospital admission, infection, scarring, and surgery served as the primary outcome data. Eight hundred and thirty children were treated as outpatients with a mean time of 1.8 days for the evaluation of burn injury in our clinic. Scalds accounted for 53% of the burn mechanism, with burns to the hand/wrist being the most frequent area involved. The mean percentage of TBSA was 1.4% for the outpatient cohort and 8% for the inpatient cohort. Burns in the outpatient cohort healed with a mean time of 13.4 days. In the outpatient cohort, nine (1%) patients had subsequent admissions and three (0.4%) patients had concern for infection. Eight patients from the outpatient cohort were treated with excision and grafting. The vast majority of pediatric burns are small, although they may often involve more critical areas such as the face and hand. Outpatient wound care is an effective treatment strategy which results in low rates of complications and should become the standard of care for children with appropriate burn size and home support.

Triage of minor burn wounds : Avoiding the emergency department

Many patients with minor burn wounds will initially be evaluated in an emergency department (ED) and incur unnecessary costs that could be avoided through a direct referral to a burn center. In June 1997, use of an ED burn triage protocol was begun at our hospital. Adults with uncomplicated burns that covered more than 1% and less than 15% of total body surface area (TBSA) and children with burns that covered more than 1% and less than 10% of TBSA were to be triaged directly to the outpatient clinic of the burn center without registering in the ED. From 1996 to 1997, 653 patients were seen in the ED for burn injuries. Approximately 500 patients fit the present criteria for direct triage to the burn center. Since the triage protocol began, the percentage of patients triaged to the burn center has increased from 27% in the first month of use (July 1997) to 73% in December 1997. At least 33% of ED patients were eligible by protocol but not triaged. The average ED visit time for these patients was 103 minutes versus 44 minutes for patients who were sent directly to the burn clinic. An estimated

Risk factors for ophthalmic complications in patients with burns

125,000 per year decrease in charges would occur with use of the protocol. Implementation of an ED triage protocol leads to avoidance of emergency room visits for the majority of patients with minor burn injuries, which results in more efficient, less expensive, faster care.

Mixing inpatient with outpatient care : establishing an outpatient clinic on a burn unit

A retrospective study of patients admitted to MetroHealth Medical Center was performed to identify the risk factors for short- and long-term ophthalmologic complications related to burn injury. From 2000 to 2007, the authors identified 293 patients with the inclusion criteria of facial burns, TBSA ≥20%, or smoke inhalation injury. Seventy (24%) developed ocular complications, and 16 (11%) developed long-term complications. Statistically significant risk factors identified for short-term complications were burn size, chemical burns, depth of facial burns, initial Glasgow Coma Scale, and need for mechanical ventilation/sedation. Risk factors for long-term complications included wound infection with Pseudomonas or Acinetobacter, third-degree burn size, hours to ophthalmology evaluation, LOS, time on mechanical ventilation, and need for STSG. In addition to facial burns, the requirement of mechanical ventilation, prolonged sedation, and presence of infection with Pseudomonas or Acinetobacter increase the risk of injury to the eye after burn injury, and these patients may benefit from serial eye examinations for early identification of ocular complications.

Complete integration of inpatient and outpatient burn care: evolution of an outpatient burn clinic.

Outpatient care of patients with burns is an important aspect of a total health care plan. Changes in the health care system, which focuses on cost containment, force reevaluation of the methods used for delivery of high-tech care, particularly in areas such as burn care. Great advances that have taken place over the past decade in the field of burn care have enabled health care providers to treat more patients with burns as outpatients. Those who are specially trained in burn care continue to be the optimal caregivers. The appropriate facilities, spray tables, hydrotherapy, and dressing rooms in which patients with burns are treated are equally important and must be adapted to meet the needs of patients who are ambulatory. The goals of an outpatient burn clinic should be to provide daily wound care and patient education to prevent unnecessary admissions and to promote early discharge for hospitalized patients. Nurses trained in burn care are the optimal providers of ambulatory burn care; therefore the clinic location should be where the caregivers are available. Several obstacles needed to be overcome before an outpatient clinic could be established on the burn unit itself. Wound care is now provided by burn unit nurses, which leads to better results and more consistent follow-up. Patient satisfaction is increased, patient teaching is provided by experienced staff, unnecessary admissions are prevented, and patients are able to be discharged from the hospital earlier or to be followed as outpatients even if surgery is eventually required.

When is enough enough? Ethical dilemmas on the burn unit

Burn centers are under continuing pressures to lower costs and maintain quality of care. One method of achieving this goal is to integrate inpatient and outpatient care in the burn unit. In 1991, our unit instituted an on-site outpatient clinic that was expanded significantly in 1996. The clinic is staffed by the inpatient personnel and allows for 24-hour availability and accommodation of all nurse and physician visits. The number of outpatient visits has increased from 1604 in 1992 to 4728 in 1996, despite a 33% reduction in registered nurse staffing during this time. From 1990 to 1996, the average length of inpatient stay for burns of 0% to 5% total burn surface area (TBSA), 6% to 10% TBSA, and 11% to 15% TBSA has decreased from 7.5 to 3.7 days, 10.3 to 7.7 days, and 16.6 to 11.8 days, respectively. Complete integration of inpatient and outpatient burn care can be achieved. An expanded on-site outpatient facility leads to optimal continuity of care, outpatient management of a larger percentage of burn injuries, and a shift in census from the inpatient to outpatient settings.