Objective To study the preventive measure of the subambient temperature burn by analysing the pathogenesis feature. Methods The cl inical data were analysed from 351 cases of subambient temperature burn between February 2004 and February 2009, including age, sex, burn season, burn factors, burn position, burn area, burn degree, treatment way, and wound heal ing. Results Subambient temperature burn occurred in every age stage. The susceptible age stages included infant, children, and the elderly. Female patients were more than male patients. The common burn reasons werehot-water bottle burn, honey warm keeper burn, and heating device burn. The peak season was winter. Lower l imb was the most common site of the subambient temperature burn. The deep II degree to III degree were the most common level, and the burn area was always small, often 1% of total body surface area. Most of patients were treated with changing dressings at cl inic and few patients needed hospital ization. Though the surface of wound could heal finally, and the wound healed well with no obvious scar in patients who received operation. Conclusion Subambient temperature burn is the frequently encountered disease in winter. Use of the warming articles should be cautious, at the same time safety awareness should be strengthened so as to decrease the incidence rate of subambient temperature burn and the injury degree.
Objective To investigate the cl inical effect of Meek technique skin graft in treating exceptionally large area burns. Methods The cl inical data were retrospectively analysed from 10 cases of exceptionally large area burns treated with Meek technique skin graft from April 2009 to February 2010 (Meek group), and were compared with those from 10 casesof exceptionally large area burns treated with the particle skin with large sheet of skin allograft transplantation from January 2002 to December 2006 (particle skin group). In Meek group, there were 8 males and 2 females with an average age of 34.5 years (range, 5-55 years), including 6 cases of flame burns, 2 cases of hot l iquid burns, 1 case of electrical burn, and 1 case of hightemperature dust burn. The burn area was 82.6% ± 3.1% of total body surface area (TBSA). The most were deep II degree to III degree burns. The time from burn to hospital ization was (3.5 ± 1.3) hours. In particle skin group, there were 8 males and 2 females with an average age of 36.8 years (range, 18-62 years), including 5 cases of flame burns, 2 cases of hot l iquid burns, and 3 cases of gunpowder explosion injury. The burn area was 84.1% ± 7.4% of TBSA. The most were deep II degree to III degree burns. The time from burn to hospital ization was (4.9 ± 2.2) hours. There was no significant difference in general data between 2 groups (P gt; 0.05). Results The skin graft survival rate, the time of skin fusion, the systemic wound heal ing time, and the treatment cost of 1% of burn area were 91.23% ± 5.61%, (11.14 ± 2.12) days, (38.89 ± 10.36) days, and (5 113.28 ± 552.44) yuan in Meek group, respectively; and were 78.65% ± 12.29%, (18.37 ± 4.63）days, (48.73 ± 16.92) days, and (7 386.36 ± 867.64) yuan in particle skin group; showing significant differences between 2 groups (P lt; 0.05). Conclusion Meek technique skin graft has good effect in treating exceptionally large area burns with the advantages of high survival rate of skin graft, short time of skin fusion, and low treatment cost of 1% of burn area.