Therapeutic and financial outcomes using a pulsating low-air-loss surface for patients surviving severe posterior...

Patients with posterior burns require extensive stays in the intensive care unit for recovery. The authors hypothesized that pulsating low-air-loss therapy would decrease the intensive care unit length of stay for burn patients, resulting in a potentially significant reduction in charges to payors. Eighty-one posterior burn patients enrolled in the primary study were randomly assigned to a pulsating low-air-loss surface (study group) or a nonpulsating low-air-loss surface (control group). The 54 survivors in this analysis (the secondary study) were well matched for age, pre-existing conditions, and total body surface area burned. Average intensive care unit length of stay was less for the study patients compared with the control patients--40 days versus 64 days (P < .05). Control patients used specialty surfaces for 49 days and study patients used them for 38 days. Based on a daily intensive care unit charge of $1,000 and the average daily specialty surface rental charge, the study patients averaged potential charges of under $44,000 in comparison to more than $67,000 for control patients. These data suggest that treatment of posterior burns with pulsating low-air-loss therapy may be of great clinical and financial benefit, decreasing the intensive care unit length of stay and potentially contributing to reduced charges to payors.