Burn injury is very common . It is estimated that it affects approximately 1% of the population each year . The accidents occur mostly at home (60%-70%) and, to a smaller extent, at work (10%-20%). The burn victims are often children (1-3 years) and the elderly (> 60 years) . In 1993, the American Burn Association established guide-lines to identify patients requiring medical care in specialized burn centers : 1 Greater than 10% total body surface area (TBSA) burns in patients less than 10 or greater than 50 years of age 2 Greater than 20% TBSA burns in patients 10-50 years of age 3 Significant burns of the face, hands, feet, genitalia, perineum, or skin overlying major joints 4 Full-thickness burns greater than 5% TBSA 5 Significant electric injury, lightning injury, and chemical burns 6 Inhalation injury 7 Burns associated with significant preexisting illness 8 Burns associated with a need for special social or emotional support, rehabilitation, and cases involving child abuse or neglect. These guidelines were then reproposed by the Committee on Trauma of the College of Surgeons in 1999 . Improvements in the management of severely burned patients, leading to a decreased mortality and morbidity, have occurred in the last 2 decades. In particular, the reduced incidence of hypovolemic shock and renal failure makes infections the most-important cause of morbidity and mortality in burned patients.
展开▼
