Among burned children who arrive at a burn center and require invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV), some may have prolonged IMV needs. This has implications for patient-centered outcomes as well as triage and resource allocation decisions. Our objective was to identify factors associated with the duration of mechanical ventilation in pediatric patients with acute burn injury in this setting.DESIGN: Single-center, retrospective cohort study. SETTING:Registry data from a regional, pediatric burn center in the United States.

The current study assessed the prevalence of appearance concerns, psychosocial difficulty, and use of an appearance-focused social and psychological support resource (Young Person’s Face IT; YPF) within a population of teens (12-17 year-olds) receiving outpatient burn care with the goal to assess the feasibility of routine use of the resource in outpatient burn care. The study sample included 78 patients ages 12-17 receiving outpatient care for burns at 1 hospital. Appearance concerns were measured via the Burn Outcomes Questionnaire Appearance Subscale, the Appearance Subscale of the Body Esteem Scale for Adolescents, and a 2-part question which asked participants directly about appearance concerns related to the burn injury. A large majority (70.0%) of study participants reported appearance concerns on at least 1 appearance measure and girls reported more burn-related appearance concerns compared to boys. Psychosocial difficulty was measured via the Pediatric Symptom Checklist-17 (PSC-17) and measures of social functioning were collected and compared within the sample by burn size, burn location, sex, and appearance concerns. Internalizing symptoms were prevalent on the PSC-17 (18.6% risk) and decreased self-worth and increased social anxiety symptoms were significantly associated with having appearance concerns. Although interest in YPF was high (78.3%), actual use of the resource among those who signed up to pilot it (n=46 participants) was low (19.4% use). Results indicate that there is a need for and interest in appearance-focused social anxiety resources for adolescents with burn injuries such as YPF, but more research is needed to understand its feasibility in clinical practice.

The breast and anterior chest are the most commonly burned part of the trunk. Burn injuries to the breast can be associated with pain, asymmetries, and significant social stigma. Burns to the breast bud in the young female may inhibit normal breast development and result in either significant asymmetries or amastia, making the treatment of breast burn injuries challenging. A retrospective chart review was conducted on all female patients under the age of 21 years admitted to our institution for breast burn injuries from January 1, 2008 to December 30, 2018. Patients were included if they had follow-up reconstructive procedures for breast burn injuries many days after their acute-phase treatment. Ninety-six patients aged 1 to 20 years have been admitted to our institution with burned breast injuries. The mean age of this cohort (n = 96) was 6.4 ± 4.8 years with a mean percent TBSA of 36.3 ± 21.4 and a mean time since injury from admission of 2279.1 ± 2284.1 days. Flame burns (66.8 percent) were the most common etiology for breast burn injuries, followed by scald burns (22.8 percent), in this cohort. The mean body mass index was 22.7 ± 6.3 kg/m2. Follow-up for reconstructive procedures was 7.2 ± 5.6 years after injury date. Our institution’s 10-year experience of 96 female patients with severe burn injuries has enhanced our understanding of reconstructive techniques. The location, size, anatomic extent, type of deformity, and symmetry must all be assessed before any treatment plans, which may need to include a combination of modalities.

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The intricate and delicate structure of the periorbital region, particularly in pediatric patients, presents challenges to eyelid reconstruction. Much like the more common lower eyelid ectropion, upper eyelid ectropion can result from lack of tissue, scar contracture, or over-resection as in blepharoplasty. In burns and trauma, the cause of cicatricial ectropion is typically direct scar contracture from injuries to the eyelid. However, in some cases, extrinsic wounds involving contracture to the forehead or eyebrow can result in upper eyelid cicatricial ectropion. Direct reconstruction and skin grafting of the eyelid present complex challenges, especially in the acute inflammatory phase of traumatic injury and burn care. Furthermore, in many of these cases the periorbital and lamellae anatomy is preserved, but rather severely displaced due to scar contracture forces. The authors discuss our experience with treatment of extrinsic upper eyelid cicatricial ectropion in a series of 4 pediatric patients with burns or trauma to the forehead and periorbital regions. In all 4 cases, the antegrade foreheadplasty procedure helped to provide globe coverage, while avoiding skin matching difficulties and the intrinsic risks of operating on the eyelid during the acute phase of recovery. There is currently very limited data for the use of this technique to correct such defects. With this study, the authors hope to establish the antegrade foreheadplasty as a reconstructive option for a select patient population.

High-voltage electrical injury is a rare yet destructive class of burn injury that persists as a serious public health issue. High-voltage exposure is commonly associated with complex wounds to the upper extremities, which can be a significant challenge for burn and plastic surgeons to reconstruct. This intensive and multistage reconstructive process is especially difficult in the growing child. Maximizing upper extremity function is a top priority, as it can have a significant impact on a patient’s quality of life. Therefore, this retrospective review describes lessons learned during a 13-year experience at a specialized pediatric burn hospital with reconstruction of the upper extremity after severe high-voltage injury in 37 children. We found that adherence to the following principles can help promote meaningful functional recovery. These include: (1) frequent assessment during early acute care for the evolving need of decompression or amputation, (2) serial surgical debridement that follows a tissue-sparing technique, (3) wound closure by skin grafting or use of flaps (particularly groin or abdominal pedicled flaps) when deep musculoskeletal structures are involved, (4) early multidisciplinary intervention for contracture prevention and management including physical and occupational therapy, splinting, and fixation, (5) secondary reconstruction that focuses on the simplest possible techniques to repair chronic skin defects such as laser therapy, local tissue rearrangements, and skin grafting, (6) complex secondary reconstruction to address deeper tissue contractures or tendon and peripheral nerve deficits, and (7) amputation with preservation of growth plates, soft tissue transfer, and long-term prosthetic management when limb salvage is unlikely.

Introduction The ear is a protruding appendage with multiple functional and aesthetic implications. Literature indicates that up to 40-60% of facial burns involve the ear. Ear burns with considerable tissue loss and sensory deficits can negatively impact quality of life, psychosocial functioning, and physical health. Successful ear reconstruction mitigates these undesirable outcomes. The complex architecture of the external ear presents a formidable surgical challenge after burn injury, when scar tissue, impaired blood supply, and trauma to cartilage all influence reconstructive options. A lack of materials that truly replicate the characteristics of uninjured elastic cartilage also presents a longstanding surgical dilemma. In this retrospective study, the authors highlight the utility of reconstructive techniques to address significant cartilage deficits, including conchal transposition flap, composite graft, costal cartilage graft, and porous polyethylene implant. Methods A retrospective review was conducted on patients aged 0 to 21 years who underwent cartilage framework reconstruction between January 2004 to January 2021 at a specialized pediatric burn center. Medical records from the hospital’s patient database were screened, and 52 patients (60 ears) who met study criteria were identified. Patient demographics, procedural characteristics, and patient outcomes were analyzed. Results For helical rim cartilage defects, 20 patients (23 ears) with an average age of 15 ± 4 years underwent a conchal transposition flap, which was associated with no major complications. In cases involving repair of small to medium cartilage deficits, 9 patients (9 ears) with an average age of 13 ± 5 years underwent a composite graft, which was associated with one case of infection. A total of 20 patients (23 ears) with an average age of 13 ± 6 years underwent porous polyethylene implantation, which was associated with two cases of exposure and one case of infection. Of these porous polyethylene cases, 20 ears involved helical rim reconstruction and 3 involved total ear reconstruction. Costal cartilage grafting was performed in 4 patients (5 ears) with an average age of 13 ± 5 years and was associated with one case of infection. Costal cartilage grafting was utilized to reconstruct 2 helical rims and 3 total ears. Conclusions In cases of focal cartilage defects or medium-sized helical rim cartilage loss, highly aesthetic results and minimal complication rates can be achieved with composite graft or conchal transposition flap. When presented with large to total helical rim loss or total ear loss, either costal cartilage graft or porous polyethylene implantation is typically necessary.

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