Burns Demography and Management during COVID-19 Pandemic - A Descriptive Study
Introduction: The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus has affected many people in India in 2020. This has put a huge strain on hospitals and healthcare workers. Burn patients usually require hospitalisation and surgery, which adds to the burden of care provided by...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
JCDR Research and Publications Private Limited
2021-10-01
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| Series: | Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://jcdr.net/articles/PDF/15519/48684_CE[Ra1]_F[SH]_PF1(SG_SHU)_PN(KM).pdf |
| Summary: | Introduction: The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome
Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus has affected many people
in India in 2020. This has put a huge strain on hospitals and
healthcare workers. Burn patients usually require hospitalisation
and surgery, which adds to the burden of care provided by
healthcare workers. Modifications in management protocol
during a pandemic are of utmost importance to prevent
transmission of Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) while
simultaneously treating burn patients.
Aim: To study burn demography and describe changes in burn
management protocol during COVID-19 pandemic.
Materials and Methods: This descriptive study was done from
March to July 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic’s initial
stages in India, at a tertiary care hospital in Southern India.
During these months, screening protocol and guidelines for
admission and testing of patients for COVID-19 were followed
as given by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). All
burn patients who visited the hospital’s Emergency Room (ER)
during this period were included in the study. Those patients
whose records were incomplete were excluded from the study.
Detailed documentation was done of patient’s burn history,
travel history and contact history by healthcare workers wearing
level 1 Personal Protection Equipment (PPE). Demographic
details were collected and entered into Microsoft Excel spread
sheet and the percentages were calculated.
Results: A total of 77 burn patients visited the ER and 44 patients
required admission. A total of 22 (50%) of the admissions were
children. A total of 45 patients (58.44%) had sustained scald
burns, 23 patients (29.87%) sustained flame burns and nine
patients (11.69%) sustained electric burns. Thirty two patients
sustained burns upto 20% and 12 patients had major burns
(>20%). Nine patients underwent surgery. There were two
fatalities. All patients were seen by healthcare workers wearing
level 1 PPE. No COVID-19 positive patient was reported during
the study period.
Conclusion: There was an increase in paediatric burn accidents
during the COVID-19 pandemic in India due to crowded and
congested homes and a lack of continuous supervision from
adults otherwise occupied with work done remotely from home.
It is routine practice to admit only critical burn patients or in
situations where home care is not possible. Minor burns dressing
must be done at home instead of; at Outpatient Department
(OPD) visit. Lifesaving surgeries in children were done using live
skin donor. Diagnosis, treatment, physiotherapy and follow-up
of patients through teleconsultation to avoid spread of COVID19 virus was encouraged. |
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| ISSN: | 2249-782X 0973-709X |