Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

BMJ Open 2019 Feb 15;9(2):e025135. Epub 2019 Feb 15.

Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.

Introduction: Systematic reviews collate trial data to provide evidence to support clinical decision-making. For effective synthesis, there must be consistency in outcome reporting. There is no agreed set of outcomes for reporting the effect of burn care interventions. Read More

J Wound Care 2019 Feb;28(Sup2):S9-S15

Assistant Professor; Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, US. Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, US.

Objective:: A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed to summarise the state of the literature in regard to the efficacy and uses of clostridial collagenase ointment (CCO) in the burn patient.

Method:: A systematic review of articles available on PubMed, Scopus and OvidSP Medline was performed. Keywords used in the search process included burns, thermal injury, collagenase, enzymatic debridement, wound care. Read More

Trials 2019 Feb 13;20(1):130. Epub 2019 Feb 13.

Centre for Children's Burns and Trauma Research, Level 7, Children's Health Research Center, The University of Queensland, 62 Graham St., South Brisbane, QLD, 4101, Australia.

Background: Although negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) is widely used in the management of several wound types, its efficacy as a primary therapy for acute burns has not yet been adequately investigated, with research in the paediatric population particularly lacking. There is limited evidence, however, that NPWT might benefit children with burns, amongst whom scar formation, wound progression and pain continue to present major management challenges. The purpose of this trial is to determine whether NPWT in conjunction with standard therapy accelerates healing, reduces wound progression and decreases pain more effectively than standard treatment alone. Read More

PM R 2019 Feb 11. Epub 2019 Feb 11.

University of Utah, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Salt Lake City, UT.

Thermal radiofrequency neurotomy (RFN) is used for a variety of indications. Thermal energy is used to thermocoagulate a target structure. Current introduced into the body through the RFN electrode exits the body via an electrical dispersive pad (EDP). Read More

J Laparoendosc Adv Surg Tech A 2019 Jan 30. Epub 2019 Jan 30.

2 Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Rome "Tor Vergata," Rome, Italy .

Introduction: Accidental thermal injuries are infrequent, nonetheless, dangerous complications in laparoscopic surgery. Burns are produced because of direct contact, lack of instrument insulation and capacitive coupling. Biological fluids on the surface of laparoscopic instruments behave as electric conductors on the sheath and may be responsible for accidental thermal injuries. Read More

Int J Mol Sci 2019 Jan 28;20(3). Epub 2019 Jan 28.

Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand.

Many burn interventions aim to target the inflammatory response as a means of enhancing healing or limiting hypertrophic scarring. Murine models of human burns have been developed, but the inflammatory response to injury in these models has not been well defined. The aim of this study was to profile inflammatory cell populations and gene expression relative to healing and scarring in a murine model of thermal burns. Read More

Crit Care 2019 Jan 28;23(1):28. Epub 2019 Jan 28.

Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Background: Hyperglycemia during the acute phase after burn is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. There is little knowledge regarding the effect of pre-existing hyperglycemia in the form of diabetes on the outcomes after severe burns. The objective is to determine the impact of diabetes on clinical outcomes after burns. Read More

Dermatol Online J 2018 Sep 15;24(9). Epub 2018 Sep 15.

University of Texas Health Science Center, McGovern Medical School, Houston, Texas Department of Dermatology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas.

Primary cutaneous CD4+ small/medium-sized pleomorphic T-cell lymphoproliferative disorder (PCSM-LPD) is a rare and low-grade form of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL), representing 2% of all primary cutaneous lymphomas. Because of its rarity, the etiology or exact clinicopathology of PCSM-LPD remains unclear. We present the first case of PCSM-LPD, to our knowledge, arising at a past melanoma excision site. Read More

Burns 2019 Jan 8. Epub 2019 Jan 8.

Department of Paediatric Surgery, Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital and Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa.

Thermal injuries amongst infants are common and a cause of significant mortality and morbidity in South Africa. This has been attributed to the lack of an enabling environment (poverty-related lack of safe living conditions) and the cognitive and physical developmental immaturity of infants, who depend on their surroundings and adults to keep them safe. This is a retrospective observational study of 548 infant admissions over 48 months. Read More

Emerg Med J 2019 Jan 11. Epub 2019 Jan 11.

Department of Emergency Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA.

Background: Low/middle-income countries carry a disproportionate burden of the morbidity and mortality from thermal burns. Nearly 70% of burn deaths worldwide are from thermal burns in India. Delays to medical care are commonplace and an important predictor of outcomes. Read More

Skin Res Technol 2019 Jan 5. Epub 2019 Jan 5.

Department of Dermatology, Yildirim Beyazit University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.

Background: The application of heat, used to straighten the typically coiled hair, has long been hypothesized to play a role in the etiologic factor for central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia (CCCA). The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of thermal hair straightening on hair loss pattern in Asian women exist.

Materials And Methods: Thirty-five patients with hair loss who have been using hair straightening devices and 25 patients with telogen effluvium were enrolled in this prospective study. Read More

Trials 2019 Jan 6;20(1):13. Epub 2019 Jan 6.

Centre for Children's Burns and Trauma Research, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.

Background: Burns are a painful and traumatic experience, particularly in children. Reduced pain and anxiety positively influences re-epithelialisation rates in paediatric burn patients, however current literature fails to fully explain the effects of pain and anxiety and their links with wound healing. This study will determine if Burnaid® hydrogel dressing is an effective treatment for reducing pain in the acute period of a burn injury. Read More

Burns 2018 Dec 27. Epub 2018 Dec 27.

Division of Colorectal Surgery, Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, No 415, Fengyang Road, Shanghai, China. Electronic address:

Background And Aim: Silver has been widely used as a topical antimicrobial agent in burn wound care. In a previous study, we demonstrated the introduction of nano-silver particles to porcine small intestinal submucosa (NS-PSIS) led to significant enhancement in antibacterial property in repairing contaminated abdominal defect. In this study, we explored the efficacy of NS-PSIS in the treatment of Pseudomonas aeruginosa-infected partial-thickness burn wounds. Read More

Pain Med 2018 Dec 27. Epub 2018 Dec 27.

Affordable Pain Management, Chicago, Illinois, USA.

BMC Anesthesiol 2018 Dec 22;18(1):203. Epub 2018 Dec 22.

Department of Anaesthesiology, Maasstad Ziekenhuis, Maasstadweg 21, 3079 DZ, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

Background: The type of scalding injury known as 'teapot syndrome', where hot liquid is grabbed by the child with the aim of ingestion and falls over a child causing burns on the face, upper thorax and arms, is known to cause peri-oral and facial oedema. Thermal epiglottitis following scalds to face, neck and thorax is rare and can occur even in absence of ingestion of a damaging agent or intraoral burns, Awareness of the possibility of thermal epiglottitis, also in scald burns, is imperative to ensure prompt airway protection.

Case Presentation: We report the case of a child with thermal epiglottitis after a scalding burn from boiling milk resulting in mixed deep burns of the face, neck and chest, but no history of ingestion. Read More

Flow Turbul Combust 2018 7;101(3):953-969. Epub 2018 May 7.

Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Cracow University of Technology, ul. Warszawska 24, 31-155 Kraków, Poland.

This paper presents the results of studies on the combustion of gaseous LPG in a bubbling fluidized bed. Relationships between the temperature, the bed mass and the location of the combustion zone and the NO and CO concentrations in exhaust gases are described. The concentrations of both gases increase with rising temperature and then quickly decline. Read More

Burns 2018 Dec 12. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, PR China. Electronic address:

Isr Med Assoc J 2018 Dec;20(12):737-740

Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Rambam Health Care Campus, affiliated with Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel.

Background: Pneumonia is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in burn patients with inhalation injuries. An increased risk of pneumonia has been demonstrated in trauma and burn patients urgently intubated in the field vs. emergency departments (EDs). Read More

Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open 2018 Oct 3;6(10):e1934. Epub 2018 Oct 3.

Plastic and Burn Surgery Department, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt.

Background: Many recent studies have evaluated the clinical safety and efficacy of therapeutic lasers in laser lipolysis, but without detailed description of the safe and effective parameters.

Purpose: To propose a method for adjusting safe and effective parameters for laser lipolysis.

Methods: Detailed calculations of the safe and effective laser parameters for fat melting are proposed in the study. Read More

Burns 2018 Dec 7. Epub 2018 Dec 7.

Department of Paediatrics Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery, Princess Margaret Hospital for Children, Roberts Road, Subiaco, Western Australia 6008, Australia; Murdoch ENT, Wexford Medical Centre, St John of God Hospital (Murdoch), Suite 17-18, Level 1, 3 Barry Marshall Parade, Murdoch, Western Australia 6150, Australia; School of Surgery, University of Western Australia, Stirling Highway, Crawley, Perth, Western Australia 6009, Australia; St John of God Hospital (Murdoch), Wexford Medical Center, Suite 17-18, Level 1, 3 Barry Marshall Parade, Murdoch 6150, Western Australia, Australia.

Objective: To review and discuss the existing research on the pathophysiology, impact and management of inhalational injury on the larynx and lower respiratory tract.

Data Sources: A literature search was conducted on the PubMed, MedLine, Embase, Web of Science and Google Scholar databases based on the keywords "airway burn", "inhalational injury" and "larynx".

Review Methods: Inclusion criteria included English language studies containing original and review data on airway injury. Read More

J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg 2019 Mar 13;72(3):438-446. Epub 2018 Nov 13.

Department of Plastic Surgery and Hand Surgery, Burn Center, University Hospital Zurich, Raemistrasse 100, CH-8091 Zurich, Switzerland; University of Zurich, Pestalozzistrasse 3, CH-8091 Zurich, Switzerland. Electronic address:

Introduction: Combined burn trauma is rather uncommon and frequently difficult to manage. Historically combined burn trauma contributed to high mortality rates in severely injured patients. The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence, mechanisms and impact of non-thermal injuries in patients with severe burns. Read More

Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol 2018 13;11:579-589. Epub 2018 Nov 13.

Pierre Fabre Dermo-Cosmétique, A-DERMA, Lavaur, France,

Background: The frequency of dermatological acts is increasing. These procedures often cause injuries and traumatic alterations in specific skin layers, slowing down wound healing.

Patients And Methods: An open observational study lasting 1 month was conducted on 2,363 patients who had undergone various dermatological procedures. Read More

Caspian J Intern Med 2018 ;9(4):341-346

Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

Background: According to the side effects of the usual treatment of burns, in improving the patients' prognosis, there is a need to introduce faster and more effective adjuvant therapies to treat wounds, thus to improve the prognosis of patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of adjuvant treatment with oral silymarin on wound healing process caused by second degree-burns among the patients admitted to Valiasr Hospital of Arak.

Methods: This randomized, double-blind clinical trial study was carried out on 80 patients with second-degree burns covering 20 to 30 percent of the body with flame. Read More

Unfallchirurg 2018 Nov 29. Epub 2018 Nov 29.

Universitätsklinik für Plastische, Wiederherstellende und Handchirurgie, Zentrum für Schwerbrandverletzte, Paracelsus Medizinische Privatuniversität, Klinikum Nürnberg, Breslauer Straße 201, 90471, Nürnberg, Deutschland.

Burns and thermal injuries from other causes often affect exposed body regions such as the hands. Besides aesthetic aspects, deep dermal burns of the skin are often critical from a functional point of view, especially for important subcutaneous structures. This article reports the course of two patients who received enzymatic debridement with bromelain-based salve as a treatment for deep grade burns of the hands. Read More

Burns 2018 Nov 24. Epub 2018 Nov 24.

The Geneva Foundation, Tacoma WA, United States; United States Army Institute of Surgical Research, JBSA Ft. Sam Houston, TX, United States.

Background: The prevalence of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in mechanically ventilated burn patients is 33%, with mortality varying from 11-46% depending on ARDS severity. Despite the new Berlin definition for ARDS, prompt bedside diagnosis is lacking. We developed and tested a bedside technique of fiberoptic-bronchoscopy-based optical coherence tomography (OCT) measurement of airway mucosal thickness (MT) for diagnosis of ARDS following smoke inhalation injury (SII) and burns. Read More

Zhonghua Shao Shang Za Zhi 2018 Nov;34(11):802-808

State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burns and Combined Injury, Institute of Burn Research, the First Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University (the Third Military Medical University), Chongqing 400038, China.

To analyze the distribution and drug resistance of pathogens from the wounds of thermal burn patients, so as to provide reliable basis for the rational use of antibiotics and the effective control over nosocomial infection. Wound samples of 1 310 thermal burn patients admitted into our burn wards from January 2012 to December 2017 were collected and retrospectively analyzed. API bacteria identification panels and automatical bacteria identification equipment were used to identify pathogens. Read More

Burns 2019 Feb 23;45(1):42-47. Epub 2018 Nov 23.

Department of Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States. Electronic address:

Introduction: Successful burn care should facilitate comprehensive, functional recovery after an injury. But we have a poor understanding of which risk factors influence long-term outcomes after burn injury. Studies have correlated hospital-acquired complications (HACs) with poor long-term outcomes in some populations. Read More

Surg Technol Int 2018 Nov 23;34. Epub 2018 Nov 23.

Jordan Valley Medical Center, Minimally Invasive and Bariatric Surgeons, Minimally Invasive Gastrointestinal, Bariatric, and Trauma Surgery IASIS Healthcare, Salt Lake City, UT.

Background: The growth of laparoscopic surgery has increased the use of laparoscopic electrosurgical devices based on radiofrequency current. Despite an improvement in most post-operative outcomes, the use of these devices can be associated with inadvertent thermal or mechanical injuries, also called accidental punctures and lacerations (APLs). APLs can occur through either operator error or system error, including insulation failure or capacitive coupling resulting in stray energy burns. Read More

Int J Pharm 2019 Jan 22;555:146-152. Epub 2018 Nov 22.

Laboratório de Biotecnologia de Produtos Naturais (BIONAT), Instituto de Ciências Ambientais, Químicas e Farmacêuticas, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Rua São Nicolau, 210, Diadema - SP, CEP 09913-030, Brazil. Electronic address:

Biopolymeric films can be used as dressings for the treatment of skin burns and other chronic wounds. The healing properties of these films may be enhanced by the addition of Copaiba oil (Copaifera L.) which properties have already been well-described. Read More

Burns 2018 Nov 12. Epub 2018 Nov 12.

Department of Plastic Surgery, St. John Hospital, Livingston EH54 6PP, Scotland, UK. Electronic address:

Introduction: Electronic cigarettes (EC) have been reported to be associated with burns secondary to explosions of the device or battery, or contact from overheating, resulting in flame, contact or chemical burns. In addition to this, there have also been reported cases of soft tissue and bony trauma with or without associated burns. Using collective evidence, this review aims to summarise all reported burns associated with ECs, and its implications on immediate management with a particular focus on surgical treatment. Read More

EBioMedicine 2018 Nov 5;37:509-520. Epub 2018 Nov 5.

Sunnybrook Research Institute, Canada; Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Canada; Ross Tilley Burn Centre, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Canada; Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Canada. Electronic address:

Background: Thermal injuries affect millions of adults and children worldwide and are associated with high morbidity and mortality. The key determinant for the survival of burns is rapid wound healing. Large wounds exceed intrinsic wound-healing capacities, and the currently available coverage materials are insufficient due to lack of cellularity, availability or immunological rejection. Read More

Int J Biol Macromol 2019 Feb 29;122:452-460. Epub 2018 Oct 29.

DRDO BU CLS, Bharathiar University Campus, Coimbatore 641046, India. Electronic address:

Bacterial cellulose is well known for its excellent contributions in biomedical applications due to its superior properties. However the lack of antimicrobial property restricts its use in wound healing. To address the complications in third degree burns, thymol enriched bacterial cellulose hydrogel (BCT) was developed in this study. Read More

Emerg Med Pract 2018 Nov 1;20(Suppl 11):1-2. Epub 2018 Nov 1.

Department of Emergency Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY

Electrical injuries can be caused by exposure to current from low-voltage and high-voltage sources as well as lightning strikes, and the circumstances of the exposure will dictate management strategies. Human tissues have varying resistance characteristics and susceptibility to damage, so injuries may be thermal, electrical, and/or mechanical, potentially causing burns, thrombosis, tetany, falls, and blast injury. This issue reviews the types of trauma seen with electrical injury and how body systems can be affected by occult or delayed effects, and the optimal evidence-based resuscitation and management strategies associated with each. Read More

Ann Burns Fire Disasters 2018 Jun;31(2):94-96

Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.

We report a case of a 74-year-old female patient who was involved in a car accident. The patient suffered deep dermal and full thickness burns and the probability of survival calculated with the Abbreviated Burn Severity Index (ABSI) was extremely low. The patient showed sufficient cardiorespiratory and renal function for the entire treatment period. Read More

Clin Exp Dermatol 2019 Mar 25;44(2):e7-e9. Epub 2018 Oct 25.

Department of Pathology, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China.

Burns 2018 Dec 22;44(8):1895-1902. Epub 2018 Oct 22.

St. Andrew's Centre for Plastic Surgery and Burns, Broomfield Hospital, Chelmsford, Essex, CM1 7ET, United Kingdom; Centre for Trauma Sciences, Blizard Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, E1 2AT, United Kingdom; Academic Department of Military Surgery and Trauma, Royal Centre for Defence Medicine, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, B15 2TH, United Kingdom.

Introduction: Burn injury in the elderly is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. It is not uncommon for biological age, or frailty, to differ from chronological age in this patient group and thus predicting individual clinical outcomes remains challenging. It has been previously shown that Rockwood's Clinical Frailty Scale, a global clinical measure of fitness and frailty in older people, can be a useful adjunct for predicting outcomes for elderly patients with burns >10% TBSA. Read More

Emerg Med Pract 2018 Nov 1;20(11):1-20. Epub 2018 Nov 1.

Assistant Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, Oklahoma University School of Community Medicine, the University of Oklahoma, Tulsa, OK.

Electrical injuries can be caused by exposure to current from low-voltage and high-voltage sources as well as lightning strikes, and the circumstances of the exposure will dictate management strategies. Human tissues have varying resistance characteristics and susceptibility to damage, so injuries may be thermal, electrical, and/or mechanical, potentially causing burns, thrombosis, tetany, falls, and blast injury. This issue reviews the types of trauma seen with electrical injury and how body systems can be affected by occult or delayed effects, and the optimal evidence-based resuscitation and management strategies associated with each. Read More

Burns 2018 Oct 16. Epub 2018 Oct 16.

Department of Plastic Surgery, Firefighters Regional Burn Center, Regional One Health, 877 Jefferson Avenue, Memphis, TN 38103, USA; Department of Plastic Surgery, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38103, USA. Electronic address:

Objective: Vancomycin empirical dosing studies in thermally injured patients have netted low successful target attainment and most excluded renal dysfunction, limiting applicability. In a previous study, the authors performed a retrospective analysis of 124 patients' measured pharmacokinetic parameters to calculate optimal dose and interval for intermittent infusion regimens and find predictors of clearance and total daily dose. The objective of this study was to improve the accuracy of attaining goal therapeutic targets with initial vancomycin regimens in patients with thermal injury through retrospective modeling. Read More

Burns 2018 Dec 16;44(8):2102-2104. Epub 2018 Oct 16.

Burns and Reconstructive Surgery, St Andrew's Burns' Centre, Chelmsford CM1 7ET, United Kingdom. Electronic address:

Ann Ital Chir 2018 ;89:337-341

Among all thermal burn injuries, electrical burns are the most unpredictable and are characterized by the damage of depressing and functionally important anatomical structures, as well as an extensive volume of tissue damage. The tactics of treating such post-burn defects require always an individual and non-standard approach. In this article, a clinical example of the plastic closure of a neck defect is presented, as a result of a high-voltage electric burn received, with counter skin-muscular flaps based on m. Read More

Burns 2018 Oct 13. Epub 2018 Oct 13.

Beckman Laser Institute and Medical Clinic, University of California, 1002 Health Sciences Road East, Irvine, CA 92617, United States; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, 3120 Natural Sciences II, Irvine, CA 92697, United States. Electronic address:

While clinical examination is needed for burn severity diagnosis, several emerging technologies aim to quantify this process for added objectivity. Accurate assessments become easier after burn progression, but earlier assessments of partial thickness burn depth could lead to earlier excision and grafting and subsequent improved healing times, reduced rates of scarring/infection, and shorter hospital stays. Spatial Frequency Domain Imaging (SFDI), Laser Speckle Imaging (LSI) and thermal imaging are three non-invasive imaging modalities that have some diagnostic ability for noninvasive assessment of burn severity, but have not been compared in a controlled experiment. Read More

Burns 2018 Oct 13. Epub 2018 Oct 13.

University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, 842 W. Taylor St., Chicago, IL 6060, United States.

A numerical-based model was developed and implemented to determine the spatial and temporal temperature distributions within skin tissue resulting from thermal contact with a heated and high thermal conductivity metallic medium. In the presence of wet tissue, boiling is likely to occur, thereby affecting the probability of inducing burns. This investigation deals with how contact between a hot, highly conductive metallic material and skin gives rise to burns. Read More

Burns 2019 Feb 13;45(1):54-62. Epub 2018 Oct 13.

Department of Anaesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Division of General Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria; Department of Anesthesia & Perioperative Care, University of California, San Francisco, 500 Parnassus Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA. Electronic address:

Background: Severe burns can induce a hypercoagulable state which is not depicted in conventional coagulation assays. The thrombin generation assay allows global assessment of coagulation and can identify hypercoagulability. We report changes in thrombin generation in patients after severe burn injury. Read More

Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open 2018 Aug 8;6(8):e1874. Epub 2018 Aug 8.

Division of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, V.A.

Burns to breast reconstructions, both autologous and implant-based, are well described in the plastic surgery literature. The mechanism has often been contact; however, burns secondary to sun exposure have also been reported. With the increasing number of prepectoral breast reconstructions, including irradiated prepectoral reconstructions, we would like to highlight the increased susceptibility of these reconstructions to thermal and ultraviolet injury. Read More

Burns 2019 Feb 12;45(1):241-246. Epub 2018 Oct 12.

Burn Center, US Army Institute of Surgical Research, Fort Sam Houston, TX, United States; Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States. Electronic address:

Calciphylaxis is a rare, necrotizing skin disorder usually associated with kidney disease, but also caused by many other systemic illnesses. This disease is associated with mortality rates as high as 80% at 1year. We present the demographic and clinical data of nine patients with calciphylaxis treated at our burn center over a 10year period. Read More

J Tissue Viability 2018 Nov 4;27(4):249-256. Epub 2018 Oct 4.

Department of Physiotherapy, Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), São Carlos, SP, Brazil.

Burns are injuries caused mainly by thermal trauma, which can progress to unsatisfactory results healing. This study aimed to evaluate the biomaterial (bacterial cellulose membrane) and photobiomodulation, exclusively and associated, in the treatment of third degree burns in rats. Forty male Wistar rats (±280 g) were randomly divided into four groups, with 10 animals each: control group (CG); bacterial cellulose membrane group (MG); laser group (LG) and bacterial cellulose membrane and laser group (MG + L). Read More

Pain Physician 2018 09;21(5):E477-E482

Rutgers New Jersey Medical School Department of Pain Management, Newark, NJ.

Background: Recent studies have shown that medial branch radiofrequency neurotomy (RFN) procedures done at the level of a pedicle screw can increase pedicle screw temperature, and it has been speculated that pedicle screw heating may cause thermal injury. There has been a limited amount of investigation into the real-world safety profile of RFN procedures in patients with pedicle screws.

Objectives: We aim to demonstrate that the occurrence of serious adverse events is rare for a medial branch RFN procedure completed at a level with metallic spinal hardware when performed according to the Spine Intervention Society practice standards. Read More

Burns 2019 Feb 29;45(1):114-119. Epub 2018 Sep 29.

Department of Surgery, University of Texas Medical Branch and Shriners Hospitals for Children(®)-Galveston, Galveston, TX 77550, USA. Electronic address:

Objective: Severe burns cause hypermetabolic responses and prolonged hospitalization, resulting in loss of body mass and muscle strength. This study aimed to determine whether long-term gains in lean body mass (LBM) after structured exercise programs are functionally meaningful and related to greater muscle strength in severely burned children.

Study Design: LBM and muscle strength were measured at discharge and at 6, 12, 24, and 36 months after burn in 349 children. Read More

Eur Radiol 2018 Oct 1. Epub 2018 Oct 1.

Department of Medical Biology, Section Clinical Anatomy & Embryology, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Objectives: Fire deaths are challenging fatalities for forensic pathologists, as the main question of whether death was due to the fire or not needs to be answered. In this retrospective study, we assessed whether post-mortem computed tomography (PMCT) has an added value prior to a forensic autopsy of burned victims.

Methods: From 2008 to 2016, a PMCT was performed in 50 burned corpses prior to a complete forensic autopsy. Read More