A fast gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method with minimum sample preparation is described for early diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB). The automated procedure is based on the injection of sputum samples which are then methylated inside the GC injector using thermally assisted hydrolysis and methylation (THM). The THM-GC-MS procedure was optimized for the injection of sputum samples. ...

Inhalation injury is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in thermally injured patients but is difficult to quantify. A number of parameters can be useful evaluating inhalation injury including bronchoscopy, PaO(2)/FiO(2) (P/F) ratio, and carboxyhaemaglobin (COHb) levels. Identification of markers that permit early detection of the degree of damage caused by inhalation injury is important t...

INTRODUCTION In-hospital hypernatremia is associated with increased mortality rates. We want to elucidate the impact of in-hospital acquired hypernatremia in mortality of Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN). PURPOSE Is there an association between hypernatremia and mortality in patients with TEN? METHOD Retrospective study of 25 patients with TEN. Laboratory electrolyte results, diuresis and s...

There are few articles about the homeless in burn literature. We sought to determine the demographic characteristics of the homeless citizens admitted to an urban burn center. This was a retrospective review from March 1999 to May 2004. Statistical analysis included chi2 and one-way analysis of variance. There were 1615 burn admissions, and 73 (4.5%) of these patients were homeless. Although th...

Background: Major burns are life threatening. Fluid resuscitation is required for survival to maintain intravascular volumes and prevent hypovolemic shock. Bioimpedance spectroscopy (BIS) has been recognised as a potential method of monitoring fluid shifts after burn and in other disease states. The aims of this study were to examine the reliability of BIS across different dressing conditions a...

Low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) appears to be a promising solution for reducing inflammatory post-burn episodes and results in improved healing. The clinical examination presented here includes patients with burn wounds ranging from 20 to 35% total body surface area (TBSA) who were categorized into two groups, of which one received subcutaneous LMWH treatment (10,000 units/day) and the othe...

Burn care is one of the few areas in medicine considered both medically and surgically challenging, with burn injuries affecting people of all ages and both sexes. Between May 1992 and March 2012, 1,524 patients were admitted to the Lebanese Burn Center in Geitawi, with an average length of stay (LOS) of 36.5 days. The most frequently encountered injuries were thermal burns, generally resulting...

Burns are physically, psychologically and economically challenging injuries, and the factors leading to them are many and under-studied. The aim of the current study was to assess level of anxiety, depression and self-esteem in burn patients, and look at various burn-related variables that affect them. This cross-sectional study included 100 patients with burn injuries admitted to a tertiary ca...

BACKGROUND Many burns that occur in the first two decades of life are accidental and preventable. The aim of this study was to determine the demographic features, mortality, and other factors associated with pediatric burns in Istanbul, Turkey. METHODS Our retrospective study included 375 hospitalized pediatric patients (225 male, 150 female; mean age 4.07±3.79; range 0.2 to 16 years) aged 16...

This is a large cohort analysis in severely burned pediatric children to determine whether C-reactive protein (CRP) can be used as a predictor for severe infection or sepsis. Nine-hundred eighteen pediatric burn patients were enrolled in this study. CRP values were measured throughout acute hospitalization and for up to 6 months postburn. Demographic data, incidence of infection, surgical inter...