Related Experiment Videos
Digitisation of the total burn surface area
M G Berry1, T I Goodwin, R R Misra
1Burns and Plastic Surgery, South Manchester University Teaching Hospital, Wythenshawe Hospital, Manchester M23 9LT, UK. militorun@hotmail.com
Summary
Burn Calculator, a new digital tool, accurately estimates the total body surface area (TBSA) affected by burns, improving fluid resuscitation and data recording. This method offers a significant improvement over traditional manual charts for burn assessment.
Area of Science:
- Medical Technology
- Burn Management
- Clinical Assessment
Background:
- Traditional methods for estimating Total Body Surface Area (TBSA) in burn patients rely on manual charts, which are prone to errors, especially by inexperienced clinicians.
- Existing paper-based burn charts are cumbersome, can be lost, and often lead to overestimation of burn area.
- Previous computer-based systems have not been widely adopted in routine clinical practice within the UK.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and evaluate a PC-based program, "Burn Calculator", for accurate and rapid TBSA assessment in burn patients.
- To compare the accuracy and reproducibility of the "Burn Calculator" against traditional paper-based burn charts.
- To assess the potential benefits of digital TBSA calculation for initial treatment, fluid resuscitation, and electronic data transmission.
Main Methods:
- A PC-based program, "Burn Calculator", was developed for digital transcription and automatic calculation of burn area.
- A pilot study compared TBSA estimations from 50 paper charts with those generated by the "Burn Calculator".
- Statistical analysis was performed to determine the correlation and reproducibility between the two methods.
Main Results:
- The study confirmed previously reported variations in TBSA estimation and a tendency towards underestimation when converting 3D burns to 2D representations.
- "Burn Calculator" demonstrated a high correlation (r=0.9850; p<0.0001) with manual chart estimations.
- "Burn Calculator" exhibited excellent reproducibility (R=0.9957), indicating consistent results.
Conclusions:
- "Burn Calculator" offers a rapid, accurate, and reproducible method for TBSA assessment in burn patients.
- The digital tool simplifies patient assessment, referral, and facilitates efficient data collection, interpretation, and research.
- Implementation of "Burn Calculator" could minimize errors in fluid resuscitation and improve overall burn care management.