A profile of adult patients with major burns admitted to a Level 1 Trauma Centre and their functional outcomes at discharge: A retrospective review
Background: Patients with major burns suffer with pain, which impacts their physical function during hospitalisation. Objectives: To describe the demographics, burn characteristics, clinical course, physical function, complications developed after major burns and to establish predictors of non-inde...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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AOSIS
2022-01-01
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| Series: | South African Journal of Physiotherapy |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://sajp.co.za/index.php/sajp/article/view/1543 |
| _version_ | 1811302430640439296 |
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| author | Irene K. Angelou Heleen van Aswegen Moira Wilson Regina Grobler |
| author_facet | Irene K. Angelou Heleen van Aswegen Moira Wilson Regina Grobler |
| author_sort | Irene K. Angelou |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Patients with major burns suffer with pain, which impacts their physical function during hospitalisation.
Objectives: To describe the demographics, burn characteristics, clinical course, physical function, complications developed after major burns and to establish predictors of non-independent physical function at hospital discharge.
Method: Records of all consecutive adult burn admissions to a Level 1 Trauma Centre between 2015 and 2017 were screened retrospectively against our study criteria, using the Trauma Bank Data Registry. Anonymised data from included records were captured on specifically designed data extraction forms. Descriptive statistics were used to summarise findings. A regression analysis was undertaken to establish predictors of non-independent function at discharge.
Results: Males represented 87.7% (n = 64) of included records (n = 73). Median age was 38 (interquartile range [IQR]: 22). Thermal burns were most reported (n = 47, 64.4%), followed by median total body surface area (TBSA) 31% and head and arms were most affected (60.3% and 71.2%). Injury severity was high with median intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay (LOS) of 17 (IQR: 34) and hospital LOS 44 (IQR: 31) days. Wound debridement was mostly performed (n = 27, 36.9%) with limb oedema as a common complication (n = 15, 21.7%). Muscle strength and functional performance improved throughout LOS. None of the variables identified were predictors of non-independent function at hospital discharge.
Conclusion: Adults with major burns were predominantly male, in mid-life and sustained thermal injury with a high injury severity. Decreased range of motion (ROM) of affected areas, ‘fair’ muscle strength and independent function were recorded for most patients at hospital discharge.
Clinical implications: These findings contribute to the limited body of evidence on the profile, clinical course and outcomes of South African adult burn patients. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T07:29:08Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4b72b91e9abe4ef686a1413026074c4a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0379-6175 2410-8219 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T07:29:08Z |
| publishDate | 2022-01-01 |
| publisher | AOSIS |
| record_format | Article |
| series | South African Journal of Physiotherapy |
| spelling | doaj.art-4b72b91e9abe4ef686a1413026074c4a2022-12-22T02:56:25ZengAOSISSouth African Journal of Physiotherapy0379-61752410-82192022-01-01781e1e710.4102/sajp.v78i1.15431475A profile of adult patients with major burns admitted to a Level 1 Trauma Centre and their functional outcomes at discharge: A retrospective reviewIrene K. Angelou0Heleen van Aswegen1Moira Wilson2Regina Grobler3Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, JohannesburgDepartment of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, JohannesburgDepartment of Physiotherapy, Netcare Milpark Hospital, JohannesburgTrauma Division, Netcare Hospital Group, JohannesburgBackground: Patients with major burns suffer with pain, which impacts their physical function during hospitalisation. Objectives: To describe the demographics, burn characteristics, clinical course, physical function, complications developed after major burns and to establish predictors of non-independent physical function at hospital discharge. Method: Records of all consecutive adult burn admissions to a Level 1 Trauma Centre between 2015 and 2017 were screened retrospectively against our study criteria, using the Trauma Bank Data Registry. Anonymised data from included records were captured on specifically designed data extraction forms. Descriptive statistics were used to summarise findings. A regression analysis was undertaken to establish predictors of non-independent function at discharge. Results: Males represented 87.7% (n = 64) of included records (n = 73). Median age was 38 (interquartile range [IQR]: 22). Thermal burns were most reported (n = 47, 64.4%), followed by median total body surface area (TBSA) 31% and head and arms were most affected (60.3% and 71.2%). Injury severity was high with median intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay (LOS) of 17 (IQR: 34) and hospital LOS 44 (IQR: 31) days. Wound debridement was mostly performed (n = 27, 36.9%) with limb oedema as a common complication (n = 15, 21.7%). Muscle strength and functional performance improved throughout LOS. None of the variables identified were predictors of non-independent function at hospital discharge. Conclusion: Adults with major burns were predominantly male, in mid-life and sustained thermal injury with a high injury severity. Decreased range of motion (ROM) of affected areas, ‘fair’ muscle strength and independent function were recorded for most patients at hospital discharge. Clinical implications: These findings contribute to the limited body of evidence on the profile, clinical course and outcomes of South African adult burn patients.https://sajp.co.za/index.php/sajp/article/view/1543burn injuryphysical functionlength of stayinjury severityrange of motion |
| spellingShingle | Irene K. Angelou Heleen van Aswegen Moira Wilson Regina Grobler A profile of adult patients with major burns admitted to a Level 1 Trauma Centre and their functional outcomes at discharge: A retrospective review South African Journal of Physiotherapy burn injury physical function length of stay injury severity range of motion |
| title | A profile of adult patients with major burns admitted to a Level 1 Trauma Centre and their functional outcomes at discharge: A retrospective review |
| title_full | A profile of adult patients with major burns admitted to a Level 1 Trauma Centre and their functional outcomes at discharge: A retrospective review |
| title_fullStr | A profile of adult patients with major burns admitted to a Level 1 Trauma Centre and their functional outcomes at discharge: A retrospective review |
| title_full_unstemmed | A profile of adult patients with major burns admitted to a Level 1 Trauma Centre and their functional outcomes at discharge: A retrospective review |
| title_short | A profile of adult patients with major burns admitted to a Level 1 Trauma Centre and their functional outcomes at discharge: A retrospective review |
| title_sort | profile of adult patients with major burns admitted to a level 1 trauma centre and their functional outcomes at discharge a retrospective review |
| topic | burn injury physical function length of stay injury severity range of motion |
| url | https://sajp.co.za/index.php/sajp/article/view/1543 |
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