Healy J

Bio: Healy J is an academic researcher. The author has an hindex of 1, co-authored 1 publications receiving 1 citations.

Are Burn Unit Admissions Increased duringWeekends and Certain Holidays

Abstract: Background: Anecdotal evidence suggests an increased incidence of burn admissions during weekends and certain times of the year, particularly the summer holidays. We formally analyzed the timing of admissions to our burn unit as well as severity of injury by date to investigate more precisely the temporal patterns of burn injuries throughout the year. Materials and methods: A retrospective chart review was performed of all patients admitted to our burn center from 2006-2015. Date, day of the week, month, and season of admission were collected and analyzed. Type of burn injury and total body surface area (TBSA) were also noted for each admission from 2013-2015. Results: The majority of admissions occurred on Sundays (39 ± 4 compared to 30 ± 6, p=0.0009), the second most occurred on Mondays (36 ± 6, p=0.038), while the least occurred on Thursdays (24 ± 4, p=0.0169). Most admissions occurred in July compared to other months (22 ± 5 compared to 17 ± 2, p=0.017). Analysis by season revealed that most admissions occurred in the summer (60 ± 11 compared to 50 ± 3, p=0.0125). Scald injuries were most likely to occur in November (10 ± 9 compared to 7 ± 8, p=0.0055) and least likely to occur in February (4 ± 8, p=0.0388). Injuries occurring in July had the smallest total body surface area compared to other months (4 ± 2.5 compared to 8 ± 2.1, p<0.0001), and injuries in November were second smallest (5 ± 5.4, p=0.0147). Injuries occurring on Wednesdays were smaller than the other days of the week (2 ± 9 compared to 7 ± 3, p=0.0006). Conclusion: Burn unit admissions are more likely to occur on the Sundays and Mondays and least likely to occur on Thursdays. July and the summer also tend to have higher rates of admissions than the rest of the year. Scald injuries are most likely to occur in November and least likely to occur in February. Admissions occurring during July, November, and on Wednesdays are associated with overall smaller-size injuries.

Trends in Burn Injuries in Northern Israel during the COVID-19 Lockdown.

Abstract: Coronavirus disease 2019 obliged many countries to apply lockdown policies to contain the spread of infection. The restrictions in Israel included limitations on movement, reduction of working capacity, and closure of the educational system. The present study focused on patients treated at a referral center for burns in northern Israel. Their goal was to investigate temporal variations in burn injuries during this period. Data were retrospectively extracted from the medical records of burn patients treated at our hospital between March 14, 2020 and April 20, 2020 (ie, the period of aggravated lockdown). Data from this period were compared with that from paralleling periods between 2017 and 2019. During the lockdown and paralleling periods, 178 patients were treated for burn injuries, of whom 44% were under 18. Although no restrictions were enforced during the virus outbreak period with regard to seeking medical care, we noticed a decrease in the number of patients admitted to the emergency room for all reasons. Of particular interest was a 66% decrease in the number of adult burn patients (P < .0001). Meanwhile, among the pediatric population, no significant decrease was observed. Nonetheless, subgroups with higher susceptibility to burn injuries included children aged 2 to 5 years (56.3% vs 23.8%, P = .016) and female patients from all pediatric age groups (57.1% vs 25%, P = .027). These findings may be explained by the presumably busier kitchen and dining areas during the lockdown. Overall, the study results can assist with building a stronger understanding of varying burn injuries and with developing educational and preventive strategies.

Burns During Coronavirus Disease 19 Lockdown: a Multi-Center Retrospective Study in Israel

Abstract: Abstract The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic forced many countries into lockdowns to limit the spread of infection. Israel’s containment measures included school closures, mobility restrictions, and workforce reductions. Our study evaluated the effect of COVID-19 on the occurrence and patterns of burn injuries. The study data was obtained via retrospective chart review of burn patients treated between March 15, 2020 and April 30, 2020, namely the period of strict national lockdown. This data was compared against data from paralleling periods between 2017 and 2019. A total of 686 patients were treated for burn injuries in the two study periods. Age group analysis revealed an increased ratio of pediatric patients aged 0–3 years during the lockdown (55.91% vs 40.79%, P = .002). In contrast, there were fewer patients presenting with burn injuries in the 7–16 and 17–29 age groups (9.66% vs 3.15%, P = .017; 16.46% vs 7.09%, P = .007, respectively). During both study periods, scald injuries were the most common burn etiology and burn injuries occurred most often at home. This predominance was further pronounced during the lockdown (71.65% vs 58.68%, P = .007; 90.55% vs 74.60%, P = .0001, respectively). The lockdown period underlined the danger faced by pediatric patients in their household environment. This danger was possibly compounded by an improper level of adult supervision as parents transitioned to remote work. These findings can educate us about factors that render burn injuries more likely not only during lockdowns, but also during regular times, thus shaping the development of burn prevention practices.

Identifying temporal variations in burn admissions

Abstract: Background Variations in admission patterns have been previously identified in non-elective surgical services, but minimal data on the subject exists with respect to burn admissions. Improved understanding of the temporal pattern of burn admissions could inform resource utilization and clinical staffing. We hypothesize that burn admissions have a predictable temporal distribution with regard to the time of day, day of week, and season of year in which they present. Study design A retrospective, cohort observational study of a single burn center from 7/1/2016 to 3/31/2021 was performed on all admissions to the burn surgery service. Demographics, burn characteristics, and temporal data of burn admissions were collected. Bivariate absolute and relative frequency data was captured and plotted for all patients who met inclusion criteria. Heat-maps were created to visually represent the relative admission frequency by time of day and day of week. Frequency analysis grouped by total body surface area against time of day and relative encounters against day of year was performed. Results 2213 burn patient encounters were analyzed, averaging 1.28 burns per day. The nadir of burn admissions was from 07:00 and 08:00, with progressive increase in the rate of admissions over the day. Admissions peaked in the 15:00 hour and then plateaued until midnight (p<0.001). There was no association between day of week in the burn admission distribution (p>0.05), though weekend admissions skewed slightly later (p = 0.025). No annual, cyclical trend in burn admissions was identified, suggesting that there is no predictable seasonality to burn admissions, though individual holidays were not assessed. Conclusion Temporal variations in burn admissions exist, including a peak admission window late in the day. Furthermore, we did not find a predictable annual pattern to use in guiding staffing and resource allocation. This differs from findings in trauma, which identified admission peaks on the weekends and an annual cycle that peaks in spring and summer.