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Biomedical subjects

J A Marvin

Publications and source records attributed to J A Marvin.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1993

Psychological effects of severe burn injuries.

Severe burn injuries provide researchers with an opportunity to study the effects of painful but usually transient trauma on psychological functioning. To that end, this article presents a review of the 3 main areas of this body of literature: (a) premorbid characteristics of people who sustain severe burn injuries, (b) psychological reactions during hospitalization, and (c) long-term adjustment. The general implications of these studies are discussed and then used to illuminate the circumstances under which individuals suffer the most from this type of trauma, the effects of such injuries on personality function, and how meaningful units of measurements can be defined. Potential clinical applications are also described.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1992

Hypnosis for the treatment of burn pain.

The clinical utility of hypnosis for controlling pain during burn wound debridement was investigated. Thirty hospitalized burn patients and their nurses submitted visual analog scales (VAS) for pain during 2 consecutive daily wound debridements. On the 1st day, patients and nurses submitted baseline VAS ratings. Before the next day's would debridement, Ss received hypnosis, attention and information, or no treatment. Only hypnotized Ss reported significant pain reductions relative to pretreatment baseline. This result was corroborated by nurse VAS ratings. Findings indicate that hypnosis is a viable adjunct treatment for burn pain. Theoretical and practical implications and future research directions are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Candida. A decreasing problem for the burned patient?

Multiple recent reports have suggested that Candida wound infection and sepsis are major complications of severe burn injury. Our current burn treatment plans include aggressive early burn excision and grafting, avoidance of invasive monitoring and central hyperalimentation lines, enteral nystatin, and judicious use of antibiotics. A retrospective review of 168 severely burned patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of the University of Washington Burn Center, Seattle, during the 18-month period from June 1984 through December 1985 was undertaken. Thirteen percent of these patients had one or more cultures positive for Candida from any site. Three patients (1.8%) developed Candida sepsis, which was diagnosed on the basis of clinical signs of sepsis, a positive blood culture for Candida, and at least two additional culture sites positive for Candida. All three patients were treated with amphotericin B. One of these patients died of Candida sepsis, for an overall mortality of 0.6%. Therefore, Candida septicemia was not a major cause of morbidity or mortality in our burn patients in the Intensive Care Unit during this 18-month period under the current management regimen.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

A comparison of intramarginal and extramarginal excision of hypertrophic burn scars.

Hypertrophic scarring is common in burn patients. The treatment of such scarring is difficult, and recurrence of the hypertrophic changes after scar revision is not uncommon. It has been suggested that intramarginal excision diminishes the chances of recurrent hypertrophic scarring, but we could not find any papers in the literature actually comparing intramarginal and extramarginal excisions. We therefore reviewed our experience with intramarginal and extramarginal excision of hypertrophic scars. Between October 30, 1979, and March 26, 1986, we excised 50 hypertrophic scars in 23 burn patients. Thirty-one (62 percent) of the excisions were intramarginal and 19 (38 percent) were extramarginal. We compared the results and observed that the intramarginal excisions yielded better results than the extramarginal excisions.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

Toxic epidermal necrolysis. A step forward in treatment.

Toxic epidermal necrolysis is an uncommon but severe form of epidermal sloughing with associated mucositis. Treated in a general hospital, it carries a high mortality (25% to 70%) and substantial long-term morbidity. If the patient is referred early to a burn center, where it can be treated with biologic dressings and intensive support care, the mortality can be reduced below 20% and there may be negligible long-term morbidity. We describe 19 patients so treated, with three deaths and no long-term complications.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

Clostridium difficile diarrhea in critically ill burned patients.

We followed up 112 patients in the University of Washington Burn Center, Seattle, for the development of Clostridium difficile diarrhea. Diarrhea developed in 20 patients with a mean burn size of 42%, mean age of 38 years, and 49 mean total antibiotic days, for an incidence of 17%. Eleven patients had 16 episodes of nonspecific diarrhea. Nine patients had 11 episodes of C difficile-positive diarrhea and 15 episodes of nonspecific diarrhea for an incidence of 45% of all patients with diarrhea. There were no differences in patient age, burn size, or length of stay between the groups. When the 31 episodes of nonspecific diarrhea were compared with the 11 episodes of C difficile diarrhea, there were no differences between the groups in temperature, albumin levels, or total number of antibiotic days preceding the episodes of diarrhea. The only significant finding that differed between the two types of diarrhea was the white blood cell count on the day of diagnosis. The nonspecific diarrhea was self-limited, requiring antimotility agents in 45% of the episodes. The C difficile diarrhea responded promptly to vancomycin hydrochloride, with resolution of symptoms in an average of 3.3 days. There were two recurrences, and both responded to a second course of vancomycin.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

Impairment, time out of school, and time off from work after burns.

Objective measurement of impairment after burns is important to patients, physicians, lawyers, and insurance companies. Even so, we could not find any references in the English literature describing how to objectively rate the physical impairment of burn survivors. The American Medical Association (AMA) has published the book Guides to Evaluation of Permanent Impairment, which is commonly used by surgeons to rate injuries. We decided to use this document to rate the impairment of burn patients. We studied patients who were treated at the University of Washington Burn Center during the years 1981, 1982, and 1983; survived the injury; were hospitalized 5 or more days or were skin grafted; and were followed until their condition was fixed (usually 12 months). This group included 325 patients. The mean age was 28.2 years and the mean total body surface area burned (TBSA) was 11.6 percent. We measured whole-man impairment (WMI) as described by the Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment. The mean whole-man impairment was 7.7 percent. In addition, we recorded time off from work and out of school after burns. The average time off from work was 12.7 weeks, and the average time out of school was 8.5 weeks. We conclude that the AMA publication can be used to rate burn patients and that the whole-man impairment of burn survivors is quite low if amputation, loss of range of motion, and nerve damage can be prevented.

Absenteeism↗
PubMed1986

Excision of burns of the face.

Sequential excision of burns is now a common technique. Nevertheless, standard texts, when describing the treatment of facial burns, recommend allowing spontaneous separation of the eschar and then grafting on granulation tissue if healing does not occur. This method yielded disappointing results for us and the reconstructive procedures required were of great magnitude. Therefore, in January of 1979, we began primary excision and grafting of those face burns not essentially healed at 10 days. We have now treated 16 consecutive patients (approximately 5 percent of all face burns) in this manner who are at least 12 months postinjury. Three were lost to follow-up, leaving 13 for evaluation. This method yields better appearance and function than that obtained by allowing spontaneous healing over more than 3 weeks or grafting on granulation tissue and decreases the magnitude of subsequent reconstruction.

Burns↗
PubMed1986

Management of Stevens-Johnson syndrome.

A patient with Stevens-Johnson syndrome is described, and the literature concerning the etiology, pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, and management of Stevens-Johnson syndrome is reviewed. A 2 1/2-year-old girl was treated with phenobarbital and i.v. ampicillin, followed by oral amoxicillin, for an upper-airway infection, otitis media, and febrile seizures. The fever returned, and she was treated unsuccessfully with penicillin and cefaclor. She was admitted to the hospital and treated with i.v. ampicillin. Within 24 hours an erythematous maculopapular rash developed. Phenobarbital was discontinued and phenytoin was begun. Four days later bullous lesions developed; ampicillin and phenytoin were discontinued, and cefazolin and phenobarbital were given. By the eighth day severe sloughing of the skin occurred over 75% of her body, and mucosal sloughing was apparent. The patient's condition was diagnosed as Stevens-Johnson syndrome. Porcine xenografts were immediately grafted to 75% of her total body surface. Severe lesions of the mouth and pharynx made parenteral nutrient therapy necessary, and ocular complications required the care of an ophthalmologist. Although the skin had healed by 14 days after grafting, another 14 days of treatment for respiratory complications was required. Stevens-Johnson syndrome is a severe exfoliative dermatitis accompanied by fever, inflammation of the gastrointestinal mucosa, and severe purulent conjunctivitis. It is associated with high morbidity and mortality. The etiologic factors may be iatrogenic (e.g., various antibiotics and anticonvulsants), infectious, or idiopathic. Respiratory complications, leukopenia, infections, erosion of the gastrointestinal mucosa, fluid and electrolyte disturbances, and chronic ocular complications may occur.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Child, Preschool↗
PubMed1985

Experience with skeletal immobilization after excision and grafting of severely burned hands.

The use of skeletal immobilization with 'hayrakes' and 'banjos' after excision and grafting of 68 severely burned hands was reviewed. It is ideally used in the patient with wounds that are circumferential or extend onto the forearm or when the patient will likely need continuous passive range of motion postoperatively. Serious infectious complications which could be directly attributed to the skeletal traction itself were rare. Peripheral nerve and arterial injuries were not encountered. The use of this technique when joints or tendons are involved or when the hands are easily splintable is not recommended. It appears to be a safe technique and results in excellent sheet graft take and hand function.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

Pain control during the intensive care phase of burn care.

Pain management in burned patients is a controversial topic. Early effective pain management in these patients requires that the physician and nurse be aware of the advantages and disadvantages of various pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic measures that may be used. Newer approaches to assessing and managing pain in these patients must be explored.

Analgesia↗
PubMed1984

Improved treatment of the Stevens-Johnson syndrome.

The Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS), a disease resulting in greater than 30% body surface area epidermal and mucosal desquamation, is reported to have a mortality of greater than 50%. Recommended treatment has included steroids, prophylactic antibiotics, nutritional support, and application of topical antibacterials. Since the lesions represent only epidermal loss without dermal necrosis, rapid reepithelialization should occur if the dermis is protected from desiccation with a biological dressing. Five nonburned patients with severe SJS were treated in the University of Washington burn center, Seattle, with urgent operative debridement of their wounds and application of porcine xenograft immediately after admission. Steroid administration was stopped. Antibiotics were used only for culture-proved infections. All patients completely re-epithelialized within a mean of 18 days. There was one death, a 9-year-old boy who was completely re-epithelialized when sudden fatal sepsis that originated from a ventriculovenous shunt placed when he was an infant developed. In this group of patients, rapid wound closure with xenograft and supportive care permitted rapid reepithelialization and decreased mortality and morbidity.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Burn depth estimation--man or machine.

A Burn Depth Indicator, utilizing reflectance ratios of red, green, and infrared light, has been devised and clinically tested for 18 months at our Burn Center. Using the endpoint of wound healing in less than or more than 3 weeks, clinical assessment by two experienced surgeons of intermediate depth wounds was compared to readings from the BDI . In about one third of cases the surgeons were unwilling to commit themselves to a prediction. In the cases where the surgeons were willing to make a prediction, they were incorrect about 25% of the time. The BDI was significantly more accurate than the clinical assessment in those predicted not to heal by the surgeons and maintained an accuracy of 79% in the wounds where the surgeons would not make a prediction. The BDI is portable, noninvasive, and provides an immediate reading. It may have utility as a triage tool for emergency rooms or combat situations, and has utility at present in our Burn Center as a more accurate tool than our clinical judgment in predicting which wounds should be excised and grafted during the first few days after injury.

Burns↗
PubMed1983

Early excision and grafting vs. nonoperative treatment of burns of indeterminant depth: a randomized prospective study.

Compared to nonoperative treatment with silver sulfadiazine cream, early excision and grafting of 22 patients with indeterminant burns of less than 20% TBSA resulted in an average shorter hospitalization, lower cost, and less time away from work than 25 patients treated nonoperatively. While early excision and grafting resulted in increased use of blood products and operating room facilities, this did not result in increased patient morbidity. Long-term followup demonstrated no difference in need for reconstruction, incidence of blisters, incidence of loss of motion, or contour irregularities. Those patients treated nonoperatively required more late grafts for closure and demonstrated more hypertrophic scarring. Those treated by early excision demonstrated more mesh graft irregularity. We conclude that in otherwise healthy patients with dermal burns of indeterminant depth less than 20% total body surface area, early excision and grafting is the preferred form of treatment.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

Early surgical excision versus conventional therapy in patients with 20 to 40 percent burns. A comparative study.

Using the records of 72 patients treated at the University of Washington Burn Center, this study compared the results of early surgical excision (by 14 days postburn) and autografting to those of autografting after spontaneous separation and bedside debridement of burn eschar. Excised patients had shorter hospitalizations and lower rates of burn wound sepsis and serious burn wound contamination, and less use of potentially toxic antibiotics (p less than 0.05) than did the prognostically equivalent group treated before the introduction of early excision. Excised patients required more blood transfusions (p less than 0.05), but did not differ significantly from controls in rates of mortality or other inpatient complications, in the number of operations performed, or in the adjusted hospital costs. Evaluation of patients treated over the entire study period for more shallow burns indicated no concurrent change in other aspects of burn care which might account for the observed results. We conclude that early excision and grafting in young, otherwise healthy patients with 20 to 40 percent total body surface area burns that are likely to heal within 3 weeks is more effective than the more traditional management of slow wound separation and debridement.

Adolescent↗