Citation

Edwards D, Heard J, Latenser BA, Quinn KY, van Bruggen J, Jovic G. J. Burn Care Res. 2011; 32(1): 31-38.

Affiliation

University of Iowa Burn Treatment Center, Iowa City; Children's Burn Foundation, Sherman Oaks, California; St. Francis Hospital, Katete, Zambia; and University Teaching Hospital, Lusaka, Zambia.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, American Burn Association, Publisher Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

10.1097/BCR.0b013e318204b36a

PMID

21131848

Abstract

The American Burn Association/Children's Burn Foundation (ABA/CBF) sponsors teams who offer burn education to healthcare providers in Zambia, a sub-Saharan country. The goals of this study are to 1) acquire burn-patient demographics for the Eastern Province, Zambia and 2) assess the early impact of the ABA/CBF-sponsored burn teams. This is a retrospective chart review of burn patients admitted in one mission hospital in Katete, Zambia, July 2002 to June 2009. July 2002 to December 2006 = data before ABA/CBF burn teams and January 2007 to June 2009 = burn care data during/after burn outreach. There were 510 burn patients hospitalized, male:female ratio 1.2:1. Average age = 15.6 years, with 44% younger than 5 years. Average TBSA burned = 11% and mean fatal TBSA = 25%. Average hospital length of stay = 16.9 days survivors and 11.6 days nonsurvivors. Most common mechanisms of burn injuries: flame (52%) and scald (41%). Ninety-two patients (18%) died and 23 (4.5%) left against medical advice. There were 191 (37.4%) patients who underwent 410 surgical procedures (range 1-13/patient). There were 138 (34.2%) sloughectomies, 118 (29.2%) skin grafts, 39 (9.6%) amputations, and 108 (26.7%) other procedures. Changes noted in the 2007 to 2009 time period: more patients had burn diagrams (48.6 vs 27.6%, P < .001), received analgesics (91 vs 84%, P = .05), resuscitation fluid (56 vs 49%, P = not significant [NS]), topical antimicrobials (40 vs 37%, P = NS), underwent skin grafting (35.5 vs 25.1%, P = NS), and underwent any operative intervention (40.6 vs 35.2%, P = NS), compared with patients treated between 2002 and 2006. This study represents the largest, most comprehensive burn data set for a sub-Saharan region in Africa. There has been a statistically significant improvement in documentation of burn size as well as administration of analgesics, validating the efficacy of the ABA/CBF-sponsored burn teams. Continued contact with burn teams may lead to increased use of resuscitation fluids, topical antimicrobials, and more patients undergoing operative intervention, translating into improved burn patient outcomes.

Language: en