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Negative pressure wound treatment (NPWT) refers to apply a highly porous material between the wound and a semipermeable membrane, and it is then connected to a suction apparatus, leading to a minimal deformation of wound, resulting in promoting cell proliferation and wound repair. These devices may significantly expedite wound healing, facilitate the formation of granulation tissue, and reduce the complexity of subsequent reconstructive operations. In recent years, along with wide clinical use, the therapeutic effect of NPWT has been recognized, but the mechanism of its clinical effect still needs further research. DOI: 10.11855/j.issn.0577-7402.2014.08.15

This paper is concerned with the blow-up solutions of the Cauchy problem for Gross-Pitaevskii equation. In terms of Merle and Raphael’s arguments as well as Carles’ transformation, the limiting profiles of blow-up solutions are obtained. In addition, the nonexistence of a strong limit at the blow-up time and the existence of L 2 profile outside the blow-up point for the blow-up solutions are obtained.

More and more Chinese drink hot water from water dispensers while many children were scalded due to this change. The present study aimed to propose a feasible strategy for prevention.A retrospective study was conducted for all water dispensers related pediatric burns admitted to Changhai Hospital from January 2005 to December 2009.The number of new cases and incidences of pediatric burns due to hot water from water dispensers was significantly increasing year after year. In the total 238 involved cases, 175 cases happened on males and 78.9% were at the age of 1 - 4 years. The burn areas were mainly located in upper extremities. All water dispensers in the surveyed families had no isolate protection devices and 85.2% of their locations were easy for children to reach. Nearly half of the children were in the same room with their guardians when injured. Total 196 burned children were playing the taps of water dispensers before injured, unfortunately, 80.6% of them have not been stopped until burned.As the kind of burns is quite serious and with bad outcome, some recommendations should be followed, such as buying water dispensers with protection devices, keeping children from touching them and so on.

Unplanned extubation is associated with adverse outcomes in intensive care unit. The massive burn patient differs from other critically ill patients in many ways. However, little is known about the unplanned decannulation (UD) in Burn Intensive Care Unit. This paper describes the special features of the circumstances and outcome of UD of tracheotomy tube in massive burn patients.A case series study was performed between January 1999 and December 2008 and UD of tracheotomy tube was analyzed retrospectively. A total of 21 patients with 29 UD events were identified. Demographic data, diagnosis, intervention, UD events and outcome of UD patients were collected. Differences in proportions were compared using the chi-square (χ(2)) or Fisher's exact test.Patients with UD were often burned with head and neck (67%) and combined with inhalation injury (62%). The majority of them (76%) were transferred patients, occurred early (55%) and were accidental UD (79%). UD events tended to happen in day shift (90%) and to be associated with the medical procedure that was performing by caregivers at besides (79%). Loose of the stabilizing rope, medical procedure and tracheotomy malposition were the main causes of UD. Early UD and reintubation failure were associated with patients' death.UD happened to massive burn patients can lead to patient death. Careful management of respiratory tract was essential for massive burn patients.

The treatment of critical burn patients involves fluid resuscitation, homeostasis, prevention of infection, support and maintenance of organ functions, nutritional support, and wound repair. Correct management of these problems is a fierce challenge facing burn clinicians. This report presents a critical burn patient with obstinate hyperglycemia and septic shock from pan-drug-resistant strains.A 41-year-old female with a 96% total body surface area (TBSA) burn developed a series of severe complications during the course of treatment, including rare obstinate hyperglycemia and septic shock from pan-drug-resistant Acinetobacter baumanii. Several aspects of the applied treatment are emphasized: an immediate effort to close the wound, the appropriate use of antibiotics, and the extraordinarily large amounts of insulin for intensive therapy to control blood sugar.The critical burn patient developed a series of severe complications during the course of treatment. Correct management of these complications is crucial to success in the treatment of such patients.

To summarize the clinical experience in repair of deep burn and traumatic wounds with combined transplantation of different types of pedicled skin flaps in lower extremities.Two hundred and thirty-six patients with 271 deep wounds in lower extremities after burn or trauma were repaired with muscular skin flaps, local fascial flaps and island flaps with vascular pedicle (more than 20 types) in our department from Jan. 1998 to Sept. 2008.Complete necrosis of skin flaps occurred in 1 case, congestion and necrosis over the edge of skin flaps occurred in 3 cases, which were healed after grafting, and other skin flaps survived well with soft texture. Skin flaps were too bulky in 26 cases, among them 17 cases were thinned, and the appearance of other skin flaps were satisfactory. In 68 patients with functional region injury were recovered to certain extent without contracture.Skin flaps with pedicles, multiple transplantations if necessary, can repair deep wounds satisfactorily in lower extremities after deep burn or trauma injury.

To investigate the epithelial growth factor (EGF) expression of EGF gene-transfected keratinocytes and its effect on cell proliferation after grafting.Newborn Balb/c mouse keratinocytes and gene transfected keratinocytes were seeded on the surface of acellular dermal matrix and cocultured in different ratios as follows: 1:1, 1:3, or 1:5 1 week after culture. The composite skin was grafted onto the full-thickness wound in Balb/c mouse. Specimen was harvested at interval after grafting and underwent the immunohistochemistry staining for EGF and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA).Immunohistochemical staining showed EGF was expressed in the newly generated epidermis 1-2 week after grafting of the composite skin comprising Balb/c mouse keratinocytes and gene-transfected keratinocytes (at the ratio of 1:5). One week after surgery, Anti-PCNA positive basal cells were more than that in composite skin containing Balb/c mouse keratinocytes alone (P0.01).The gene-transfected keratinocytes expresses EGF and promotes the proliferation of keratinocytes in the early stage after transplantation.

To investigate the changes in myocardial dynamics in early phases of burn shock of dogs and the effects of rapid fluid infusion in delayed resuscitation.Twelve mongrel dogs were randomly divided into control (n=6) and burn (n=6) groups. The dogs in burn group were subjected to 35% total body surface area (TBSA) III degree burn and were resuscitated with lactate Ringer's solution 6 hours postburn. The volumes and rates of fluid infusion were controlled basically on the urinary output of 1.0 mlxkg(-1)xh(-1) and cardiac output (CO) of 70%-80% of pre-burn values. The mean arterial pressure (MAP), left ventricular systolic pressure (LVSP), maximum rate of intraventricular pressure rise/down (+/-dp/dt max) and cardiac index (CI) were determined at 0.5, 1,2, 6, 7, 8, 10 and 24 hours postburn.The MAP, LVSP, +/-dp/dt max and CI were significantly lowered from their baseline and those of control group at 0.5 hour postburn, and they kept declining until 6 hours postburn. They showed a tendency of elevation and reached or approached the levels of that in control group within 2 hours of resuscitation, and the differences were not significant between the two groups 4 hours after burn (all P0.05). The amount of infusion fluid within the first 4 hours of resuscitation was (3.63+/-0.99) ml/kg per 1% TBSA.The myocardial dynamics is depressed in the early stage of burn, the effective way to improve it is to infuse a large amount of fluid rapidly when resuscitation is delayed.

To evaluate the safety and long-term effect of recombinant human epithelial growth factor (rhEGF) on deep partial-thickness burn wounds.Thirty-seven burn patients were enrolled in this study and were observed by randomized, double-blinded and placebo-controlled protocol. An area of deep partial-thickness burn wounds from each patient was divided into control (C) and treatment (T) portions. The wound in C was treated with normal saline while that in T with rhEGF. The patients were followed-up for 1 and 4 years after wound healing. The healed wounds were evaluated by modified Vancouver scar scale in terms of scar index (SI).1 year after wound healing, it was found that the SI in T group (7.19 +/- 1.67) was obviously lower than that in C group (8.92 +/- 1.78, P0.01). The SI in T group (6.12 +/- 1.54) was still evidently lower than that in C group (8.09 +/- 1.81, P0.01) four years after wound healing. There were no signs of development of tumor or cancer in all the tested burn wound areas.External application of rhEGF might be beneficial to the healing quality of deep partial-thickness burn wound with less scar formation and better long-term effects, and it is safe.

To study whether nimodipine, a dihydropyridine-type calcium channel blocker, can inhibit the production of interleukin-1beta(IL-1beta), interleukin-6(IL-6) by Kupffer cells(KC) and down-regulate its level of plasma after severe burn injury.KC of normal rats were isolated with portal vein catheter, intrahepatic digestion and density gradient centrifugation. Intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) in individual KC after stimulated with postburn serum was assessed fluorometrically with microspectrofluorimeter. Level of IL-1beta and IL-6 in the supernatant of KC cultured with postburn serum were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA). SD rats underwent 30% total body surface area(TBSA) full thickness burn 6 hours later, KCs was isolated and their mRNA were extracted. Level of IL-1beta mRNA and IL-6 mRNA were detected by ribonuclease protection assay(RPA). Levels of plasma IL-1beta and IL-6 were also detected. Role of nimodipine on above-mentioned effects were observed.Compared with that of control group, levels of [Ca2+]i of KCs and IL-1beta and IL-6 supernatant in burn group increased significantly(all P0.01). At present of 1 micromol/L nimodipine, however, the [Ca2+]i, IL-1beta, IL-6 values decreased significantly(all P0.01). The level of plasma cytokines and KC mRNA in burn group also increased significantly. After intravenously injection with nimodipine (40 microg x kg(-1) x h(-1)), the numerical values decreased significantly(all P0.01).Kupffer cells of rats are activated to secret IL-1beta and IL-6 after severe burn injury and this process is realized through calcium ion signal transduction channel. Nimodipine can inhibit IL-1beta and IL-6 production of KC by preventing its mRNA transcription, down-regulating its level of plasma.

AIM: To sum up the recent 30-year experience in the prevention and treatment of gastrointestinal dysfunction in severe burn patients, and propose practicable guidelines for the prevention and treatment of gastrointestinal (GI) dysfunction. METHODS: From 1980 to 2007, a total of 219 patients with large area and extraordinarily large area burns (LAB) were admitted, who were classified into three stages according the therapeutic protocols used at the time: Stage 1 from 1980 to 1989, stage 2 from 1990 to 1995, and stage 3 from 1996 to 2007. The occurrence and mortality of GI dysfunction in patients of the three stages were calculated and the main causes were analyzed. RESULTS: The occurrence of stress ulcer in patients with LAB was 8.6% in stage 1, which was significantly lower than that in stage 1 (P < 0.05). No massive hemorrhage from severe stress ulcer and enterogenic infections occurred in stages 2 and 3. The occurrence of abdominal distension and stress ulcer and the mortality in stage 3 patients with extraordinarily LAB was 7.1%, 21.4% and 28.5%, respectively, which were significantly lower than those in stage 1 patients (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01), and the occurrence of stress ulcer was also significantly lower than that in stage 2 patients (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Comprehensive fluid resuscitation, early excision of necrotic tissue, staged food ingestion, and administration of specific nutrients are essential strategies for preventing gastrointestinal complications and lowering mortality in severely burned patients.