Transfers from emergency room to burn center: errors in burn size estimate.
Errors in estimation of burn size are commonplace in community hospital emergency rooms. In 24 of 132 transfers to a burn center the extent of injury was overestimated at the transferring emergency room by 100% or more. This incorrect burn size estimation seems related to reliance on guesswork or use of the Rule of Nines. The incidence of error is greater in smaller burns.
Hammond
J S
JS
Department of Surgery, University of Miami School of Medicine, FL.
Ward
C G
CG
D001830:Body Surface Area; D002053:Burn Units; D002056:Burns / Q000473:pathology*; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005431:Florida; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D010360:Patient Transfer