lunes, noviembre 26, 2007

Quemaduras en Pies

Foot burns: Epidemiology and management
S. Hemington-Gorse, S. Pellard, Wilson-Jones and Potokara. The Welsh Regional Burns and Plastic Surgical Unit, Morriston Hospital. United Kingdom.
Burns 2007; 33(8):1041-5

This is a retrospective study of the epidemiology and management of isolated foot burns presenting to the Welsh Centre for Burns from January 1998 to December 2002. A total of 289 were treated of which 233 were included in this study.
Approximately 40% were in the paediatric age group and the gender distribution varied dramatically for adults and children.
In the adult group the male:female ratio was 3.5:1, however in the paediatric group the male:female ratio was more equal (1.6:1). Scald burns (65%) formed the largest group in children and scald (35%) and chemical burns (32%) in adults.
Foot burns have a complication rate of 18% and prolonged hospital stay.
Complications include hypertrophic scarring, graft loss/delayed healing and wound infection. Although isolated foot burns represent a small body surface area, over half require treatment as in patients to allow for initial aggressive conservative management of elevation and regular wound cleansing to avoid complications.
This study suggests a protocol for the initial acute management of foot burns. This protocol states immediate referral of all foot burns to a burn centre, admission of these burns for 24–48 h for elevation, regular wound cleansing with change of dressings and prophylactic antibiotics.