Estimation of breast burn size

Area of Science:

• Burn assessment and body surface area estimation.
• Plastic surgery and reconstructive medicine.
• Anthropometry and anatomical measurement.

Background:

• Standard burn charts, like the Lund and Browder chart, may underestimate chest burn size in large-breasted women.
• Existing charts are based on limited data, potentially lacking representation for diverse body types.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the accuracy of current burn estimation methods for large-breasted women.
• To develop a more accurate method for calculating chest burn surface area in adult females.
• To correlate breast size with torso surface area for improved burn assessment.

Main Methods:

• Measured torso surface area in 60 volunteers (men, small-breasted women, large-breasted women) using established techniques.
• Calculated total body surface area using weight and height normograms.
• Analyzed the ratio of anterior to posterior trunk surface area in relation to sex and breast size.

Main Results:

• Torso surface area to total body surface area ratio did not significantly differ between groups.
• The proportion of anterior to posterior trunk size varied significantly with sex and breast size.
• A direct correlation was found between bra cup size and the anterior-to-posterior trunk surface area ratio.

Conclusions:

• Current burn charts can underestimate chest burn size in women with larger breasts.
• A new chart correlating bra cup size to torso surface area can enhance burn estimation accuracy.
• Recommendations include using a supplementary chart for correcting chest burn estimates in women.