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THE IMPACT OF THE NATIONAL BURN SERVICE MODEL ON WAIKATO REGIONAL BURNS UNIT IN NEW ZEALAND
Author(s) -
Yang A. S.,
Moaveni Z.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
anz journal of surgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.426
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1445-2197
pISSN - 1445-1433
DOI - 10.1111/j.1445-2197.2009.04914_3.x
Subject(s) - medicine , total body surface area , burn units , medical emergency , emergency medicine , centralisation , surgery , political science , law
New Zealand moved to a centralised national service model for the management of severe burn patients in 2006. Waikato Hospital is one of three regional burns centres within this framework, in which complex burns (greater than 30% total body surface area; burns to hands, face, and perineum; extremes of age) are transferred to the National Burn Centre in Auckland. Whilst a national burns service potentially improves outcomes in these severely injured patients, valid concerns have been raised regarding the maintenance of the regional centres’ ability to care for major burns in case of a disaster scenario where national resources may be stretched thin. The aim of this study was to look at the impact the change to a national service model has had on the management of burns in the regional unit. Patients with burns admitted to the Waikato Hospital between January 2005 and December 2008 were included in this retrospective review. Patient notes and hospital coding data were analysed including total body surface area of burns, theatre visits and operating time for change of dressings as well as debridement and grafting, length of ICU stay and total length of hospital stay until discharge. A comparison of results pre‐ and post‐centralisation of major burns care are presented and implications for regional hospitals are discussed.