We have located links that may give you full text access.
JOURNAL ARTICLE
REVIEW
Assessment of burn size in obese adults; a literature review.
Journal of Plastic Surgery and Hand Surgery 2017 December
PURPOSE: Obesity causes changes in the total body surface area as well as the distribution of skin surfaces. In burn management, three methods are commonly used to determine the surface area burned: the patient's palm, the rule of nines, and the Lund-Browder chart. These methods rely on the distribution of skin surface, although none of these methods consider differences in body mass. This study investigates the relationship between body surfaces and body mass in the assessment of burn size to determine the validity of the conventional methods when applied to obese individuals.
METHODS: The current literature was reviewed using relevant electronic databases. The initial search yielded 247 results. Relevant articles were then reviewed. A total of seven publications fulfilled the inclusion criteria.
RESULTS: The palmar surface area ranged between 0.59%-1.22%, depending on BMI, gender, and ethnicity, compared to 1% according to conventional methods. The palmar surface area of obese individuals approximated 0.7% of the total body surface area in Caucasians. The surface areas comprised 5%-7.5% of the total body surface area for each arm, 15%-20% for each leg, and 40%-52% for the trunk in obese or morbidly obese individuals, compared to 9%, 18%, and 36%, respectively, for normal-weight adults.
CONCLUSIONS: The commonly used methods for assessment of burns should be used with caution when applied to obese burn patients, and the clinical parameters observed even more systematically.
METHODS: The current literature was reviewed using relevant electronic databases. The initial search yielded 247 results. Relevant articles were then reviewed. A total of seven publications fulfilled the inclusion criteria.
RESULTS: The palmar surface area ranged between 0.59%-1.22%, depending on BMI, gender, and ethnicity, compared to 1% according to conventional methods. The palmar surface area of obese individuals approximated 0.7% of the total body surface area in Caucasians. The surface areas comprised 5%-7.5% of the total body surface area for each arm, 15%-20% for each leg, and 40%-52% for the trunk in obese or morbidly obese individuals, compared to 9%, 18%, and 36%, respectively, for normal-weight adults.
CONCLUSIONS: The commonly used methods for assessment of burns should be used with caution when applied to obese burn patients, and the clinical parameters observed even more systematically.
Full text links
Related Resources
Get seemless 1-tap access through your institution/university
For the best experience, use the Read mobile app
All material on this website is protected by copyright, Copyright © 1994-2024 by WebMD LLC.
This website also contains material copyrighted by 3rd parties.
By using this service, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy.
Your Privacy Choices
You can now claim free CME credits for this literature searchClaim now
Get seemless 1-tap access through your institution/university
For the best experience, use the Read mobile app