title: Therapeutic and financial outcomes using a pulsating low-air-loss surface for patients surviving severe posterior burns.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, USA.
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Yarbrough
authors.forename: T E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Philbeck
authors.forename: F M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Simmons
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Finnell
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Warren
authors.forename: D G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Burleson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000388:Air; D001513:Beds / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards*; D002053:Burn Units / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002056:Burns / Q000191:economics / Q000628:therapy*; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D005260:Female; D017722:Hospital Charges / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000191:economics*; D008297:Male; D011673:Pulsatile Flow