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Prehospital paediatric burn care: New priorities in paramedic reporting
Author(s) -
Fein Mikaela,
Quinn Jamie,
Watt Kerrianne,
Nichols Tara,
Kimble Roy,
Cuttle Leila
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
emergency medicine australasia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.602
H-Index - 52
eISSN - 1742-6723
pISSN - 1742-6731
DOI - 10.1111/1742-6723.12313
Subject(s) - medicine , context (archaeology) , emergency medicine , pediatrics , paleontology , biology
Objective The present study evaluates the prehospital care of paediatric burn patients in Q ueensland ( QLD ). As first aid ( FA ) treatment has been shown to affect burn progression and outcome, the FA treatment and the risk of associated hypothermia in paediatric patients were specifically examined in the context of paramedic management of burn patients. Methods Data were retrospectively collected from electronic ambulance response forms ( eARFs ) for paediatric burn patients (0–5 years) who were attended by Q ueensland A mbulance S ervice ( QAS ) from 2008 to 2010. Data were collected from 117 eARFs of incidents occurring within the B risbane, T ownsville and C airns regions. Results Initial FA measures were recorded in 77.8% of cases, with cool running water FA administered in 56.4% of cases. The duration of FA was recorded in 29.9% of reports. The duration of FA was significantly shorter for patients in N orthern QLD (median = 10 min, n = 10) compared with B risbane (median = 15 min, n = 18), P = 0.005. Patient temperatures were recorded significantly more often in B risbane than in other regions ( P = 0.041); however, in total, only 24.8% of all patients had documented temperature readings. Of these, six (5%) were recorded as having temperatures ≤36.0°C. Burnaid TM was the most commonly used dressing and was applied to 55.6% of all patients; however, it was applied with a variety of different outer dressings. B risbane paramedics applied Burnaid significantly less often (44.3%) compared with paramedics from N orthern QLD (72.7%) and F ar N orthern QLD (60.9%), P = 0.025. Conclusions Despite FA and patient temperatures being important prognostic factors for burn patients, paramedic documentation of these was often incomplete, and there was no consistent use of burns dressings.