Caravan explosions: a case series of burns patients

xloma.fota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader Caravan explosions: a case series of burns patients at the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital Via ANZ Journal of Surgery Caravan explosions due to gas cylinder explosions or gas leaks are responsible for a small but significantly injured group of burns patients. This is a single‐centre case series of patients with caravan‐related burns identified using the burns data registry at the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital. The objective was to seek evidence of primary blast wave injury by comparing the injury pattern between groups. Abstract Background Caravan explosions due to gas cylinder explosions or gas leaks are responsible for a small but significantly injured group of burns patients. Those involved in explosions are sometimes assumed to be at risk of primary blast wave injury; however, the likelihood of such injuries is unclear. The aim of this research was to seek evidence of primary blast injury in groups defined by clinicians as having sustained burns in explosive and non‐explosive events. Methods This is a single‐centre case series of patients with caravan‐related burns from 2009 to 2019, identified using the burns data registry at the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital. Patients were divided into two groups based on the mechanism of injury, with injuries sustained from either a gas bottle explosion (group 1) or from gas ignition (group 2). Results Twenty‐one patients were identified over the 10‐year period. The explosion group suffered more extensive burns, with a median % total body surface area of 31% (23.5–43.5) and 9.5% (5–20) in group 1 and group 2, respectively (P = 0.01). There was a numerically longer median hospital and intensive care unit length of stay in group 1. In multivariable analysis, there were no statistically significant predictors of intensive care unit or hospital length of stay. None of the patients appeared to have suffered any of the expected effects of primary blast wave injury. Conclusion Gas bottle explosions in caravans uncommonly, if ever, result in a blast wave of sufficient energy to cause primary blast injury. View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.