WLE increases the chance of local recurrence more than radical surgery. Care should be taken to avoid microseeding during performed WLE.

Free flap is an applicable alternative to restore nasal skin envelope, with rebuilding the nasal framework performed in the same stage after severe facial burn injury. Through thoughtful planning and sufficient refinement, satisfactory aesthetic, and functional results are achievable.

No abstract

Objective: Posttraumatic growth (PTG) is commonly observed in trauma survivors. Information on PTG and its predictors among burn survivors is relatively limited. The present study sought to investigate the prevalence and predictors of PTG in burn survivors. The predictors of interest included the variables from Tedeschi and Calhoun's model of PTG (core belief challenge, deliberate rumination, trauma disclosure, and perceived social support) and positive personality attributes (resilience, grateful disposition, and dispositional forgiveness). Method: Participants were 116 burn survivors of the 2015 Formosa Fun Coast Water Park explosion in Taiwan. The mean age at the event was 22.3 years (SD ϭ 4.2), with the average total body surface area (TBSA) burned of 49.5% (SD ϭ 19.6). Results: Two years after the explosion, 51.7% of the burn survivors experienced "significant" PTG (i.e., at least moderate growth). This proportion rose to 80.2% and 88.8% when assessing PTG at the domain and item levels, respectively. The variables from Tedeschi and Calhoun's model and positive personality attributes both significantly and substantially predicted PTG postburn, after adjusting for demographic and burn characteristics. Moderation analyses revealed that the effect of deliberate rumination on PTG postburn was stronger among those with low and moderate levels of resilience. The effect of trauma disclosure on PTG postburn was stronger among those with low and moderate dispositional forgiveness. Conclusion: These findings highlight the applicability of psychological theories of PTG to trauma-related growth of burn survivors. Clinical Impact StatementThe main findings of this study were threefold. First, posttraumatic growth (PTG) is highly prevalent in burn survivors. Second, variables derived from Tedeschi and Calhoun's model of PTG strongly predicted PTG postburn. Third, positive personality attributes (i.e., resilience, grateful disposition, and dispositional forgiveness) strongly predicted PTG postburn and moderated the effects of theoretically derived variables on PTG postburn. These findings highlight the applicability of psychological theories of PTG to trauma-related growth of burn survivors. Several of the predictors examined could be considered targets for postburn psychological intervention (e.g., gratitude and forgiveness), which may facilitate PTG.

No abstract

No significant difference between the bilateral electromyographic activities of the temporalis and masseter muscles and bilateral bite force was observed in young healthy adults in Taiwan. A positive correlation between sEMG signals and bite force was noted. By combining sEMG and bite force, we developed a clinically applicable, quantitative, reliable, and noninvasive system for evaluating mastication function by using characteristics of biofeedback.

Background On June 27, 2015, a colored powder explosion occurred in Taiwan. As a result, 499 people were injured, and over 200 people were in critical condition because of severe burns. Forty-nine casualties were transported to the Chang Gung Memorial Hospital. Methods We undertook a single-center retrospective observational study using clinical data for 37 patients with major burns with more than 20% total burn surface area (TBSA). We describe the experience of managing patients with acute burn injuries in these patients. Patient-specific data were analyzed and expressed as mean ± standard deviation. Results Thirty-seven major burn patients were admitted to our hospital. The mean ± SD age was 22.5 ± 5 years. The mean ± SD TBSA was 48.9% ± 20%. All patients were stabilized within 6 hours after admission, and no patient experienced hypothermia or hypovolemia. We performed 95 debridement procedures and 88 skin grafts. A mean of 5.6 surgeries were performed for each patient. The mean ± SD hospital stay was 62 ± 32 days. The ratio for hospital days/%TBSA was 1.36, and hospital charges/hospital days ratio was US $973 a day for surviving patients. Two mortalities (2/37, 5.4%) were reported: one was related to cardiac insult, and another was caused by sepsis. Conclusions We share our experience in managing 37 major burn patients in a colored powder explosion to improve the holistic care in modern mass burn casualties. Aggressive early debridement and skin grafting reduced hospital stay and costs.

No abstract