Wound Repair Regen 2017 Jul 20. Epub 2017 Jul 20.

Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Shriners Hospitals for Children, Cincinnati, OH.

Scar research is challenging because rodents do not naturally form excessive scars, and burn depth, size, and location cannot be controlled in human longitudinal studies. The female, red Duroc pig model has been shown to form robust scars with biological and anatomical similarities to human hypertrophic scars. To more closely mimic the mode of injury, recreate the complex chemical milieu of the burn wound environment and enhance scar development, an animal model of excessive burn-induced scarring was developed and compared with the more commonly used model, which involves excisional wounds created via dermatome. Read More

Am J Forensic Med Pathol 2017 Jul 18. Epub 2017 Jul 18.

From the *Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pathology, Forensic Medicine and Pharmacology, Vilnius University, Vilnius; †State Forensic Medicine Service; and ‡Faculty of Fundamental Sciences, Department of Physics, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Vilnius, Lithuania.

The article presents 3 forensic medicine cases in the field of electric injury. In addition to traditional findings in electric injury (electric mark and histological findings), the forensic medicine experts in Lithuania also perform an atomic absorption spectrometry analysis. This method confirms the effects of electric current to the body through the electric conductor. Read More

Sci Rep 2017 Jul 13;7(1):5302. Epub 2017 Jul 13.

School of Mechanical and Mining Engineering, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia.

The coal fires, a global catastrophe for hundreds of years, have been proved extremely difficult to control, and hit almost every coal-bearing area globally. Meanwhile, underground coal fires contain tremendous reservoir of geothermal energy. Approximately one billion tons of coal burns underground annually in the world, which could generate ~1000 GW per annum. Read More

Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2017 Jul 10. Epub 2017 Jul 10.

Institute of Infectious Diseases and Public Health, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy.

Prolonged hospitalization and antibiotic therapy are risk factors for the development of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) infections in thermal burn patients. We used a rat model to study the in vivo efficacy of daptomycin in the treatment of burn wound infections by S. Read More

Int J Gynaecol Obstet 2017 Jul;138 Suppl 1:20-25

Edinburgh University, Edinburgh, UK.

Precancerous cervical lesions precede the development of invasive cervical cancer by 10-20 years, making cervical cancer preventable if these lesions are detected and effectively treated. Treatment has evolved in the last few decades and now includes ablative options that can be performed in lower-resource settings where surgical excision is not feasible or routinely available. Gas-based cryotherapy, which freezes cervical tissue to induce localized necrosis, is the most commonly used ablative treatment. Read More

BMC Res Notes 2017 Jul 6;10(1):258. Epub 2017 Jul 6.

Plastics and Burns Unit, Department of Surgery, Mulago National Referral Hospital, P.O.BOX 7051, Kampala, Uganda.

Background: Blood transfusion, a practice under re-evaluation in general, remains common among thermal burn patients due to the hematological alterations associated with burns that manifest as anemia. Today advocacy is for restrictive blood transfusion taking into account individual patient characteristics. We went out to identify the parameters that may determine transfusion requirement and the time to blood transfusion for thermal burn patients in Mulago Hospital in order to build statistics and a basis to standardize future practice and Hospital protocol. Read More

BMJ Open 2017 Jul 2;7(6):e017267. Epub 2017 Jul 2.

School of Social and Community Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.

Introduction: In 2004, nearly 11 million severely burn-injured patients required medical care worldwide. Burns cause prolonged hospitalisation and long-term disability. Although mortality has been reduced, morbidity remains significant. Read More

Burns 2017 Jun 29. Epub 2017 Jun 29.

Griffith University and Burns, Trauma and Critical Care Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Australia.

Background: Scar massage is used in burn units globally to improve functional and cosmetic outcomes of hypertrophic scarring following a burn, however, the evidence to support this therapy is unknown.

Objective: To review the literature and assess the efficacy of scar massage in hypertrophic burn scars.

Methods: MEDLINE, PubMed, Embase, CINAHL and the Cochrane Library were searched using the key words "burn", "burn injury", "thermal injury" and "scar", "hypertrophic scar" and "massage", "manipulation", "soft tissue mobilisation", "soft tissue manipulation". Read More

Burns 2017 Jun 20. Epub 2017 Jun 20.

Department of Pediatric Surgery, Burn Unit, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Altonaer Children's Hospital, Bleickenallee 38, 22763 Hamburg, Germany; Department of Pediatric Surgery, University Medical Center Eppendorf, Martinistrasse 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany; German Society for Burn Treatment (DGV), German Burn Registry, Luisenstrasse 58-59, 10117 Berlin, Germany. Electronic address:

Objective: The purpose of this observational, multi-center study was to reveal epidemiologic, etiological and clinical aspects of hospitalized children with thermal injuries in Germany and Austria and the workup of a renewed web-based pediatric burn registry.

Methods: From 2006 to 2015, comprehensive patient data of thermally injured children in Germany and Austria were collected prospectively. Retrospective analysis of age, gender, mechanism of injury, total body surface area burned, way of admission and length of stay was performed, followed by the comparative analysis between designated burn centers and other pediatric hospitals. Read More

Cell Physiol Biochem 2017 23;42(2):824-837. Epub 2017 Jun 23.

Department of Pathology, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.

Background: Thermal injury is the main cause of pulmonary disease in stroke after burn and can be life threatening. Heat-induced inflammation is an important factor that triggers a series of induces pathological changes. However, this mechanism underlying heat-induced inflammation in thermal inhalation injury remains unclear. Read More

J Cutan Pathol 2017 Jun 20. Epub 2017 Jun 20.

Department of Surgery, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.

Background: Visual assessment of burn wound appearance is the standard of care to determine the depth of thermal injury but often incorrectly predicts wound healing potential. Histologic evaluation of hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stained burn tissue is prone to subjectivity and is challenging for the novice. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) staining may offer a simplified and consistent technique to identify burn tissue viability. Read More

Am J Dermatopathol 2017 Aug;39(8):622-624

*Department of Dermatology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH; †Miraca Life Sciences Research Institute, Irving, TX; and ‡Department of Dermatology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL.

Factitious dermatitis (FD) (dermatitis artefacta) is rare and often difficult to diagnose because of conflicting history and nonspecific clinical and histologic findings. It can present with varied clinical features including geometric ulcers, erosions, and less commonly bullae secondary to external trauma from chemicals, electric burns, heat, and suction. Herein, we describe a case of bullous FD due to thermal burn with histologic features demonstrating overlap with fixed drug eruption. Read More

Sci Rep 2017 Jun 12;7(1):3211. Epub 2017 Jun 12.

The Scar Free Foundation Birmingham Centre for Burns Research, Birmingham, UK.

The mortality caused by sepsis is high following thermal injury. Diagnosis is difficult due to the ongoing systemic inflammatory response. Previous studies suggest that cellular parameters may show promise as diagnostic markers of sepsis. Read More

Zhonghua Yan Ke Za Zhi 2017 Jun;53(6):460-463

Department of Ophthalmology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China.

Objective: To identify the primary disease spectrum and trends of surgical procedure of keratoplasty patients. Methods: Retrospective case series study. To review all patients who underwent keratoplasty at Department of ophthalmology in Tongji Hospital from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2015. Read More

Burns 2017 Jun 9. Epub 2017 Jun 9.

St. Elizabeth's Regional Medical Center, 555 S. 70th Street, Lincoln, 68510, Nebraska, United States.

Fungal infections in the intensive care unit are becoming a more common occurrence, especially in the care of the burn patient. Fungal infections in the critically burned patient, who by nature have a heightened inflammatory state and impaired immune response, have been found to carry a profound degree of morbidity and mortality. We present our experience in the care of severe thermal injuries; a series of patients with endodontic fungal infection which, as we found, pose a significant risk for the development of systemic infection and sepsis. Read More

Wilderness Environ Med 2017 Jun;28(2S):S103-S108

US Army Institute of Surgical Research, San Antonio, TX.

Burn injury affects a half million people in the United States annually. The severe thermal injury can have long-term debilitating effects. The management of burn patients in austere and operational environments is more complex. Read More

Clin Chem Lab Med 2017 Jul;55(8):1224-1233

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Background: Measurement of C-peptide by immunoassay contributes to the diagnosis of a number of disorders related to β cell function. Stocks of the current international reference reagent (IRR) for C-peptide, used to calibrate these immunoassays, are exhausted, and this report summarises the international study to establish a replacement World Health Organization (WHO) international standard (IS) to maintain the availability of a globally available reference material and support efforts to standardise C-peptide assays.

Methods: The study was conducted in three phases; phase I involved the assignment of a value to a primary calibrant in mass units by amino acid analysis and phase II applied this value to the calibration of a candidate standard, 13/146, by reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) assay. Read More

Ann Burns Fire Disasters 2017 Mar;30(1):62-64

Lebanese Hospital, Beirut, Lebanon.

Burns in infants are rare. The majority of neonatal burns occur in the hospital setting. The immaturity of their immune system, their fragile and thin skin, difficulties in resuscitation, engraftment paucity limited by donor sites, and long-term complications make taking care of burned newborns extremely difficult. Read More

Ann Burns Fire Disasters 2017 Mar;30(1):13-17

Burn Research Center, Motahari Burn Hospital, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

There are two types of prognostic model - burn-specific and general - to predict mortality risk in burn patients. Most prediction models were devised in developed countries. The aim of this study was to compare the performance of six outcome models in a developing country. Read More

Burns Trauma 2017 4;5:18. Epub 2017 Jun 4.

Department of Surgery, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, 3601 4th Street MS 8312, Lubbock, TX 79430 USA.

Background: There is increasing evidence that sex differences may influence responses after thermal injury and affect clinical outcomes. The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationships between sex, thermal injury, body size, and inpatient mortality in burn patients.

Methods: Medical records of adults with >20% total body surface area (TBSA) burn injury admitted to two American Burn Association (ABA)-verified burn centers between 2008 and 2014 were retrospectively reviewed. Read More

J Ayub Med Coll Abbottabad 2016 Oct-Dec;28(4):702-705

Department of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, Punjab Medical College/ Allied Hospital, Faisalabad, Pakistan.

Background: Electrical burns are quite different from thermal and chemical burns. This study is from a centre which deals with job related electric burn injuries alone and thus can give a pure account of the electric burns and discuss the related peculiarities. Study aims to highlight the differences in the mechanism of electric burn injury, its mode of presentation, morbidity, complications and thus the treatment strategies as compared to rest of the burn injuries. Read More

Cell Physiol Biochem 2017 5;42(2):480-494. Epub 2017 Jun 5.

Department of Pathology, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.

Background: Heat causes airway damage during inhalation injury because of bronchial epithelial cell damage. Accumulating evidence shows that mitochondrial uniporter (MCU) is involved in cell damage. We investigated the MCU activity after heat treatment and assessed whether Astragaloside-IV (AS-IV) suppresses heat-induced apoptosis in bronchial epithelial cells by inhibiting the activation of the mitochondrial Ca2+ uniporter (MCU), mitochondrial depolarisation and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Read More

Clin Plast Surg 2017 Jul;44(3):573-581

Department of Surgery, University of Utah Burn Center, University of Utah, 30 North 1900 East 3B400, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA.

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) can be a life-threatening or limb-threatening complication of thermal injury. The severity of burn injury can be used to predict VTE risk among patients with thermal injury, and a weighted risk-stratification tool has been developed. This article reviews the incidence, diagnosis, and management of thromboembolic events in patients with burns. Read More

J Burn Care Res 2017 May 31. Epub 2017 May 31.

From the *Department of Surgery, UT Southwestern, Dallas, TX; †Division of Biostatistics, Department of Clinical Sciences, UT Southwestern, Dallas, TX; ‡Division of Burns/Trauma/Critical Care, UT Southwestern, Dallas, TX; §Division of Trauma, Critical Care, Burn, and Emergency Surgery, University of Arizona, Tucson; and ‖Department of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson.

Best practices are to conduct an early discussion of goals of care (GoC) after injury in the elderly, but this intervention is inconsistently applied. We hypothesized that a frail appearance was a factor in the decision to conduct a GoC discussion after thermal injury. A retrospective review was performed of all burn survivors aged ≥ 65 years at our ABA-verified level 1 burn center between April 02, 2009, and December 30, 2014. Read More

Emerg Med Australas 2017 Aug 1;29(4):438-443. Epub 2017 Jun 1.

Greater Sydney Area Helicopter Emergency Medical Service, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to describe patient demographics, injuries, physiology and interventions performed by retrieval physicians in the care of burns patients in both a pre-hospital and interhospital setting.

Methods: A retrospective review of patient records from a large Australian Helicopter Emergency Medical Service was conducted. Demographics, injury, burn type, physiology and intervention data were extracted into a database for statistical analysis. Read More

J Burn Care Res 2017 May 26. Epub 2017 May 26.

From the Department of Surgery and Center for Translational Injury Research, University of Texas Health Science Center Houston, TX.

In trauma, admission rapid thrombelastography (rTEG) has been shown to predict in-hospital thromboembolic events, guide treatment of coagulopathy, and identify likely to require large volume resuscitations. We sought to evaluate the use of rTEG in describing the coagulation status of major burn patients at admission and assess whether rTEG values predicted resuscitation volumes and patient outcomes. This is a retrospective study of all patients admitted to our Burn ICU between January 2010 and December 2012. Read More

Burns 2017 May 20. Epub 2017 May 20.

Burn Center, Department of Surgery, Red Cross Hospital, Beverwijk, The Netherlands; Association of Dutch Burn Centers, P.O. Box 1015, 1940 EA Beverwijk, The Netherlands; Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Hand Surgery, Red Cross Hospital, Beverwijk, The Netherlands; Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Hand Surgery and MOVE Research Institute, VU Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Background: Objective measurement tools may be of great value to provide early and reliable burn wound assessment. Thermal imaging is an easy, accessible and objective technique, which measures skin temperature as an indicator of tissue perfusion. These thermal images might be helpful in the assessment of burn wounds. Read More

Int Ophthalmol 2017 May 20. Epub 2017 May 20.

Ophthalmic Mutual Insurance Company, San Francisco, CA, USA.

Aim: A survey of ophthalmic plastic and reconstructive surgeons as well as seven-year data regarding claims made to the Ophthalmic Mutual Insurance Company (OMIC) is used to discuss operating room fires in periocular surgery.

Methods: A retrospective review of all closed claim operating room fires submitted to OMIC was performed. A survey soliciting personal experiences with operating room fires was distributed to all American Society of Oculoplastic and Reconstructive Surgeons. Read More

Biomed J 2017 Apr 4;40(2):106-112. Epub 2017 May 4.

Department of Mechanical Engineering, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan.

Background: The purpose of our study is to use a noninvasive tomographic imaging technique with high spatial resolution to characterize and monitor biological tissue responses associated with laser thermal injury.

Methods: Optical doppler tomography (ODT) combines laser doppler flowmetry (LDF) with optical coherence tomography (OCT) to obtain high resolution tomographic velocity and structural images of static and moving constituents in highly scattering biological tissues. A SurgiLase XJ150 carbon dioxide (CO2) laser using a continuous mode of 3 watts (W) was used to create first, second or third degree burns on anesthetized Sprague-Dawley rats. Read More

Burns 2017 May 13. Epub 2017 May 13.

Department of Ophthalmology, Hallym University Medical Center, Hallym University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea. Electronic address:

Aim: The aim of this study is to investigate the factors affecting tear film and ocular surface in patients with facial burns.

Methods: A total of 273 patients with facial burns, treated at Hallym University Hangang Sacred Heart Hospital from November 2012 to July 2015, were included. Tear break-up time (TBUT), Schirmer's tear secretion test, fluorescein staining score (FSS), ocular surface disease index (OSDI), and visual analogue pain score (VAS) were compared according to burned surface area, burn site, burn cause, time since burn injury, or lid abnormality. Read More

ScientificWorldJournal 2017 30;2017:9365814. Epub 2017 Mar 30.

State Key Laboratory of Fire Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China.

This paper presents a model for heat and moisture transfer through firefighters' protective clothing (FPC) during radiation exposure. The model, which accounts for air gaps in the FPC as well as heat transfer through human skin, investigates the effect of different initial moisture contents on the thermal insulation performance of FPC. Temperature, water vapor density, and the volume fraction of liquid water profiles were monitored during the simulation, and the heat quantity absorbed by water evaporation was calculated. Read More

Adv Ther 2017 Jun 24;34(6):1235-1244. Epub 2017 Apr 24.

Department of Dermatology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.

Introduction: Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) are two of the most severe dermatologic conditions occurring in the inpatient setting. There is a lack of consensus regarding appropriate management of SJS and TEN.

Purpose: The scientific literature pertaining to SJS and TEN (subsequently referred to as SJS/TEN) is summarized and assessed. Read More

Malays Orthop J 2017 Mar;11(1):35-40

Department of Orthopaedics, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Pondicherry, India.

Introduction: Treatment of heterotopic ossification (HO) of the elbow is challenging and fraught with complications. Patients who sustain direct trauma to the elbow joint, the central nervous system, and thermal burns are at increased risk for development of HO. There is a paucity of studies and reports on patient's self-evaluation after the excision of the heterotopic ossification. Read More

J Trauma Acute Care Surg 2017 May;82(5):946-951

From the Department of Surgery (G.H., P.W., C.V., J.C-D., C.C.F., D.N.H., L.K.B.), University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas; Shriners Hospitals for Children-Galveston, Galveston, Texas (G.H., P.W., C.V., J.C-D., C.C.F., D.N.H., L.K.B.); Division of Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery (P.W., J.C-D.), Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria; Sealy Center for Molecular Medicine and the Institute for Translational Sciences, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas (C.C.F.); and School of Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas (A.F., V.C.).

Background: Multiple organ failure (MOF) is a major contributor to morbidity and mortality in burned children. While various complications induced by electrical injuries have been described, the incidence and severity of single organ failure (SOF) and MOF associated with this type of injury are unknown. The study was undertaken to compare the incidence and severity of SOF and MOF as well as other complications between electrically and thermally burned children. Read More

Clin Pediatr (Phila) 2017 May;56(5_suppl):8S-12S

1 Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA.

Burns are a common cause of preventable morbidity and mortality in children. Thermal and chemical burns are the most common types of burns. Their clinical appearance can be similar and the treatment is largely similar. Read More

Emerg Med J 2017 Jul 17;34(7):472-474. Epub 2017 Apr 17.

NIHR Respiratory Biomedical Research Unit, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK.

Introduction: Actively warming hypothermic patients or preventing hypothermia is critical in optimising outcomes in patients with traumatic injuries. Our aim was to investigate the effect of ambient oxygen concentration on the rate and change in temperature of the TechTrade Ready-Heat II exothermic (oxygen-activated) warming blanket, to evaluate safety and ascertain the risk of thermal injury.

Methods: A mannequin covered with an exothermic blanket was placed in a sealed oxygen tent. Read More

Burns 2017 Aug 12;43(5):898-908. Epub 2017 Apr 12.

University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Department of Surgery, Division of Burn, Trauma, and Critical Care, Dallas, TX, USA. Electronic address:

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common and morbid complication after severe burn, with an incidence and mortality as high as 30% and 80%, respectively. AKI is a broad clinical condition with many etiologies, which makes definition and diagnosis challenging. The most recent Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) consensus guidelines defined stage and severity of AKI based on changes of serum creatinine and urine output (UOP) across time. Read More

Burns 2017 Apr 11. Epub 2017 Apr 11.

United States Army Institute of Surgical Research, United States. Electronic address:

Inhalation injury commonly accompanies thermal injury, increasing the likelihood of mortality and multiple organ dysfunction (MOD). Large animal models have given important insight into the pathophysiology of this injury; however recapitulating late MOD has remained difficult. The current report describes experiments using a smoke inhalation and burn model, with follow-up of ambulatory swine for 14days with bronchoscopy, CT scanning, and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF)/blood collection. Read More

Burns 2017 Jun 8;43(4):e7-e10. Epub 2017 Apr 8.

Section of Neuroradiology, Trauma Center Murnau, Germany. Electronic address:

Purpose: Electrical injury to the central nervous system may lead to neurologic compromise via pleiotropic mechanisms. It may cause current-related, thermal or nonthermal damage followed by secondary mechanisms.

Methods: We herein report a case of a 20-year old man, who experienced a low-voltage electric injury due to an occupational accident. Read More

J Burn Care Res 2017 Apr 3. Epub 2017 Apr 3.

From the *University of Utah General Surgery; and †Department of Surgery, University of Utah Burn Center.

To summarize the most salient literature regarding the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and prevention of ischemic enterocolitis (IE) in thermal injury. IE is a poorly characterized gastrointestinal complication associated with large burns. This entity occurs irrespective of abdominal trauma. Read More

Wound Repair Regen 2017 Apr 16;25(2):327-337. Epub 2017 May 16.

Division of Plastic Surgery, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois.

Hypertrophic scar is a major clinical outcome of deep-partial thickness to full thickness thermal burn injury. Appropriate animal models are a limitation to burn research due to the lack of, or access to, animal models which address the endpoint of hypertrophic scar. Lower species, such as rodents, heal mainly by contracture, which limits the duration of study. Read More

Burns 2017 Mar 28. Epub 2017 Mar 28.

Department of Plastic Surgery, Hand Surgery, Burn Center, University of Witten/Herdecke, Cologne-Merheim Medical Center (CMMC), Cologne, Germany.

Introduction: Facial burns occur frequently and depending on the injured skin layers often heal with scars which may cause permanent functional and cosmetic sequelae. Preservation of the sensitive facial skin layers, especially of the dermis is essential for scarless epithelialisation. Enzymatic debridement of deep thermal burns has already been shown to assist with preserving viable dermis. Read More

Hand Clin 2017 May;33(2):333-345

Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Shriner's Hospital for Children, 51 Blossom Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA; MGH Hand Surgery Fellowship, Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA. Electronic address:

Thermal injuries of the hand can have a great impact on function. Initial treatment should focus on the prevention of contracture through the use of tissue-sparing techniques and optimized occupational therapy. Surgical intervention should follow the standard reconstructive ladder and can involve several techniques from simple to complex including minimally invasive techniques, such as laser and steroid injection, contracture release and skin grafting, and local tissue rearrangement and regional flaps as well as distant pedicled and free flaps. Read More

Arch Plast Surg 2017 Mar 15;44(2):117-123. Epub 2017 Mar 15.

Division of Plastic Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.

Background: Upper extremity soft tissue defects with complete circumferential involvement are not common. Coupled with the unique anatomy of the upper extremity, the underlying etiology of such circumferential soft tissue defects represent additional reconstructive challenges that require treatment to be tailored to both the patient and the wound. The aim of this study is to review the various options for soft tissue reconstruction of complete circumferential defects in the upper extremity. Read More

Burns 2017 Jun 24;43(4):693-699. Epub 2017 Mar 24.

Joseph M. Still Burn and Reconstruction Center, Jackson, MS, USA. Electronic address:

Peripheral neuropathy is the most frequent disabling neuromuscular complication of burns. However, the insidious and progressive onset of burn neuropathy makes it often undiagnosed or overlooked. In our study, we reviewed the current studies on the burn-related peripheral neuropathy to summarize the morbidity, mechanism, detecting method and management of peripheral neuropathy in burn patients. Read More

J Burn Care Res 2017 Mar 15. Epub 2017 Mar 15.

From the *Center for Transplantation Sciences, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School; and †Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.

Vascularized composite allotransplantation (VCA) has demonstrated utility in the reconstruction of extensive soft-tissue defects following severe burns. However, pre-VCA events such as multiple transfusions, previous transplantation and pregnancies, the use of skin allografts, and mechanical support devices may result in sensitization and ultimately exclude a burn patient, who may benefit most through VCA, from a hand or face transplant. The authors sought to identify the immunologic challenges involved. Read More