Predictors of short-term outcomes of burn in a newly established burn centre in Iran.
Zakiyeh Jafaryparvar, Masoomeh Adib, Atefeh Ghanbari and 1 others
PMID 34319015WHAT IT FOUND
Older age, larger burn area and longer ICU stay were linked to death; grafting, both-limb burns, deeper burns, re-hospitalization and ICU stay were linked to longer hospital stay in 626 burn patients.
Key findings
01Each additional year of age, each 1% increase in burn extent, and each additional ICU day were associated with higher death likelihood.
02After adjustment, skin grafting, both upper and lower limb burns, partial and full thickness burns, longer ICU stay and re-hospitalization were associated with longer hospital stay.
03The Baux score was lower in survivors but did not predict mortality.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study looked only at records from one burn centre, so the results may not apply to other hospitals or countries. It was retrospective, so it can show associations but cannot prove that any factor caused death or longer stay. Many medical records were incomplete, and phone follow-up was not always successful. Only adults above 18 years were included, so it says nothing about children. Inhalation injury was rare, with 18 patients, so the study could not show whether inhalation injury predicts death. The Baux score did not predict mortality here, so a score based on age and burn size may not be useful for this mixed group.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflict of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read age, burn size, ICU stay, grafting or re-hospitalization as causes that can be changed to reduce death or stay. This was a retrospective single-centre record study, so it shows associations, not proof of what will improve outcomes.