Application of air-fluidized bed in treatment of large area of burns in plateau area of western China

Yang Junping; Guo Jia; Wang Huirong; Zhang Yongjun; Zhang Dehong

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1672-8521.2017.02.005

Abstract：Objective:To investigate the clinical effects of air-fluidized bed in treatment of large area of burns in plateau areas of western China.Methods:Seventy-seven patients with burn area ＞ 47％ TBSA and full-thickness burn area ＞ 30％ TBSA involved in present study were divided into two groups according to the time (May 2013) when the air-fluidized beds were adopted in the Fourth Hospital of PLA.Of them 35 patients admitted from Apr.30,2010 to Apr.30,2013 received turn-over beds treatment,and their wounds were treated with eschar excision and skin grafting;another 42 patients admitted from May 3 l,2013 to May 31,2016 received air-fluidized beds treatment,and their wounds were treated with eschar reservation and skin grafting.All the patients received anti shock treatment by fluid infusion,anti-infection,irradiation with a far infrared burn therapy instrument.The wound scabbing and healing time,infection rate,patients received operation,fluid volume and blood transfusion during shock phase,levels of serum sodium,length of hospital stay and cost of hospitalization of the two groups were observed and compared.Results:Compared with the patients in turn-over beds group,the wound scabbing and healing time and the length of hospital stay were obviously shortened (P＜0.01);the number of patients received operation,the amount of blood products and the cost of hospitalization decreased significantly (P＜0.01),and the wound infection rate declined markedly (P＜0.05) in those of air-fluidized beds group.Compared with the patients in turn-over beds,the volume of fluid resuscitation increased (P＜0.01) and the serum sodium level also increased significantly (P＜0.05) in patients of air-fluidized beds group.Conclusions:The air-fluidized bed may act in protecting the wound surface,reducing wound infection and accelerating wound healing in treatment of extensive burns.However,it will cause the increased loss of fluid and hypertonic dehydration,so the fluid amount should be increased properly.In general,treatment with air-fluidized bed can reduce the number of operations,decrease the consumption of blood products,shorten the length of hospital stay,especially save the treatment costs,so is worthy of promotion in underdeveloped areas of western China.