Adequate fluid resuscitation decreases incidence of acute renal failure in burn patients

BACKGROUND Burns constitute a severe health problem in many countries. In Indonesia burns rank 4th of all trauma-related diseases and are a burden on the country’s health system. Adequate fluid resuscitation is the initial management of burns that determines the success of treatment. This study aimed to determine the relationship between adequate fluid resuscitation and incidence of acute renal failure in burn patients. METHODS A retrospective study of cross-sectional design was conducted on 30 burn patients who came to the Emergency Unit (ER) from January 2015-December 2017. Medical records were reviewed to examine the data on fluid resuscitation according to the Parkland formula and the laboratory data. Acute renal failure was defined as a creatinine level of more than 2.1 mg/dL after 7 days. Hypoalbuminemia was defined as an albumin level of less than 3.4 g/dL. Fisher’s exact test was used to analyze the data. RESULTS Twenty-two subjects received fluid resuscitation according to the Parkland formula and 8 did not. Twenty-five experienced complications such as acute renal failure (ARF) (13.3%), hypoalbuminemia (46.7%) and a combination of ARF and hypoalbuminemia (23.3%). One person died. Adequate fluid resuscitation was significantly associated with decrease incidence of ARF (p=0.015), but not significantly with hypoalbuminemia (p=0.214) and with mortality (p=0.267). CONCLUSION Adequate fluid resuscitation decreased the incidence of ARF in burn patients. Consensus protocols for initial burn resuscitation and treatment are crucial to avoid the consequences of ARF after burn injury

HOSPITAL SHIP: HEALTH SERVICES IN TAMBELAN ISLANDS

This article aims to share the experience of healthcare services we provided in the Tambelan Islands and build awareness that healthcare services in rural areas, especially the islands, are still minimal and receive little attention. Tambelan Islands are one of the rural areas in Bintan Regency, Riau Archipelago Province, Indonesia. Healthcare facilities in the Tambelan Islands are still minimal and inadequate, including surgical services. Patients with medical conditions accompanied by complications or requiring surgery must be referred to the West Kalimantan Hospital for approximately 15 hours by sea. DoctorSHARE Foundation and volunteer team provide healthcare services with the Floating Hospital facility to reach the rural area. Healthcare services include surgical specialists, antenatal care, and general practitioner services. We served 485 patients in the local community, including 43 patients requiring surgeries

Global economic burden of unmet surgical need for appendicitis

Background There is a substantial gap in provision of adequate surgical care in many low- and middle-income countries. This study aimed to identify the economic burden of unmet surgical need for the common condition of appendicitis. Methods Data on the incidence of appendicitis from 170 countries and two different approaches were used to estimate numbers of patients who do not receive surgery: as a fixed proportion of the total unmet surgical need per country (approach 1); and based on country income status (approach 2). Indirect costs with current levels of access and local quality, and those if quality were at the standards of high-income countries, were estimated. A human capital approach was applied, focusing on the economic burden resulting from premature death and absenteeism. Results Excess mortality was 4185 per 100 000 cases of appendicitis using approach 1 and 3448 per 100 000 using approach 2. The economic burden of continuing current levels of access and local quality was US $92 492 million using approach 1 and$73 141 million using approach 2. The economic burden of not providing surgical care to the standards of high-income countries was $95 004 million using approach 1 and$75 666 million using approach 2. The largest share of these costs resulted from premature death (97.7 per cent) and lack of access (97.0 per cent) in contrast to lack of quality. Conclusion For a comparatively non-complex emergency condition such as appendicitis, increasing access to care should be prioritized. Although improving quality of care should not be neglected, increasing provision of care at current standards could reduce societal costs substantially

Global economic burden of unmet surgical need for appendicitis

Background There is a substantial gap in provision of adequate surgical care in many low- and middle-income countries. This study aimed to identify the economic burden of unmet surgical need for the common condition of appendicitis. Methods Data on the incidence of appendicitis from 170 countries and two different approaches were used to estimate numbers of patients who do not receive surgery: as a fixed proportion of the total unmet surgical need per country (approach 1); and based on country income status (approach 2). Indirect costs with current levels of access and local quality, and those if quality were at the standards of high-income countries, were estimated. A human capital approach was applied, focusing on the economic burden resulting from premature death and absenteeism. Results Excess mortality was 4185 per 100 000 cases of appendicitis using approach 1 and 3448 per 100 000 using approach 2. The economic burden of continuing current levels of access and local quality was US $92 492 million using approach 1 and$73 141 million using approach 2. The economic burden of not providing surgical care to the standards of high-income countries was $95 004 million using approach 1 and$75 666 million using approach 2. The largest share of these costs resulted from premature death (97.7 per cent) and lack of access (97.0 per cent) in contrast to lack of quality. Conclusion For a comparatively non-complex emergency condition such as appendicitis, increasing access to care should be prioritized. Although improving quality of care should not be neglected, increasing provision of care at current standards could reduce societal costs substantially