title: Decompression not escharotomy in acute burns.
abstract: The concept of escharotomy has long been associated with acute burns care. Nevertheless the practice of escharotomy is frequently flawed and there is considerable diversity in the teaching of the procedure. It is proposed that there should be a fundamental change in the teaching of acute burn management and the concept of decompression should be promoted. The justification for this change comes from a review of the present knowledge base using indexed, library and web-based information sources and also a review of a series of patients transferred to a regional burns unit over a five-year period which revealed that 37% of patients who required surgical decompression had not been appropriately treated prior to transfer. Based on relevant compartmental anatomy a change in the surgical decompression of limbs is proposed to allow safer and more effective management.
authors.affiliation: Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong. andrewburd@surgery.cuhk.edu.hk
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Burd
authors.forename: Frederick V
authors.initials: FV
authors.lastname: Noronha
authors.forename: Kawser
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.forename: Jimmy Y W
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ayyappan
authors.forename: S Y
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Ying
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pang
mesh_terms: D002056:Burns / Q000601:surgery*; D003161:Compartment Syndromes / Q000517:prevention & control*; D019299:Decompression, Surgical / Q000379:methods*; D000071938:Fasciotomy; D006801:Humans