title: Comfort care in burns: the Burn Modified Liverpool Care Pathway (BM-LCP).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Despite advances in burn care some injuries remain non survivable. Good end of life care for these patients is arguably as important as life prolonging care. The Liverpool Care Pathway is a useful tool for providing good quality end of life care. It has previously been modified for the acute setting. We modified it further specifically for use in burn care in 2007 and would like to share our experience of using it.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective case series of deaths occurring between 01/01/08 and 31/12/09 is presented and adherence to the Burn Modified Liverpool Care Pathway (BM-LCP) is assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 22 deaths over the study period with a mean TBSA of 55%. Mean Acute Burn Severity Index score (ABSI) 12.5. A decision of futility was made in 14 cases, 11 of these were started on the BM-LCP. 7 were started on the pathway at the time of admission. Mean time from decision to start the pathway to death 11 h (range 3-48). There were no variances from the pathway.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The BM-LCP appears to be an appropriate tool for assisting in end of life care in burns and when used appears to improve end of life care. We recommend its use and would encourage others to implement its use.
authors.affiliation: St Andrew's Centre for Burns, Broomfield Hospital, Court Road, Chelmsford CM1 7ET, United Kingdom. sgorse@doctors.org.uk
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Hemington-Gorse
authors.forename: A J P
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Clover
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Macdonald
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Harriott
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Richardson
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Philp
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Shelley
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dziewulski
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002056:Burns / Q000401:mortality; D019091:Critical Pathways; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000592:standards; D005260:Female; D019983:Guideline Adherence / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D006113:United Kingdom