Research in burns - Present and future

ABSTRACT

There have been tremendous advances in burns care over the past 50 years. Much of this, but not all, can be attributed to basic science and clinically related research. Out of the best centres in the world, centres that are fully funded and richly resourced, best practice guidelines result in impressive outcomes not only in terms of survival but also in terms of a quality of survival. Indeed the remaining clinical challenges in these centres are the elderly, the inhalational burns, and the very extensive burns. There are however other challenges when looking at burns care in a global context and in particular is the provision of even minimal standards of acceptable care for burns patients in many parts of the world. Whilst the justification for research funding in the wealthy countries becomes increasingly esoteric, for example looking at the immunology of face transplantation, the global health challenges of burns care still remain. Perhaps, the greatest research challenge in burns care in the 21st century lies not in furthering our understanding of the phenomenon we observe but the global application of the knowledge we already possess.

KEY WORDS

Immunology - face transplant - global networks - burns care

• REFERENCES

• 1 Proceedings of the First International Congress on Research in Burns, National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Md., September 19-22, 1960. Artz CP, editor. Washington, DC: American Institute of Biological Sciences; Oxford: Backwell Scientific Publications; 1962.
• 2 Burd A, Noronha FV. What's new in burns trauma? Surgical Practice 2005;9:126-36.
• 3 Burke JF. Burn treatment's evolution in the 20th century. Burn Treatment 2005;200:152-3.
• 4 Allgöwer M. Centennial perspective on burn treatment. J Am Coll Surg 2005;200:814-5.
• 5 Holmes JH. Critical issues in burn care. J Burn Care Res 2008;29:180-7.
• 6 Hicks C, Khorasanee J, Gamelli RL. Genomics of burn injury and its promise in clinical practice. J Burn Care Res 2008;29:877-86.
• 7 Wolf SE. The year in burns 2007. Burns 2008;34:1059-71.
• 8 Wolf SE. The year in burns 2008. Burns 2009;35:1057-70.
• 9 Leaute-Labreze C, de la Roque ED, Hubiche T, Boralevi F. Propranolol for severe hemangiomas of infancy. The New England Journal of Medicine 2008;358:2649-51.
• 10 Bloemen MCT, van der Veer WM, Ulrich MMW, van Zuijlen PPM, Niessen FB, Middelkoop E. Prevention and curative management of hypertrophic scar formation. Burns 2009;35:463-75.
• 11 van der Veer WM, Bloemen MCT, Ulrich MMW, Molema G, van Zuijlen PP, Middelkoop E, et al. Potential cellular and molecular causes of hypertrophic scar formation. Burns 2009;35:15-29.
• 12 Alvarado R, Chung KK, Cancio LC, Wolf SE. Burn resuscitation. Burns 2009;35:4-14.
• 13 Tricklebank S. Modern trends in fluid therapy for burns. Burns 2009;35:757-67.
• 14 Greenhalgh DG. Burn resuscitation: The results of the ISBI/ABA survey. Burns 2010;36:176-82.
• 15 Falder S, Browne A, Edgar D, Staples E, Fong J, Rea S, et al. Core outcomes for adult burn survivors: A clinical overview. Burns 2009;35:618-41.
• 16 Richardson P, Mustard L. The management of pain in the burns unit. Burns 2009;35:921-36.
• 17 Mackey SP, Diba R, McKeown D, Wallace C, Booth S, Gilbert PM, et al. Return to work after burns: A qualitative research study. Burns 2009;35:338-42.
• 18 Mathes DW, Kumar N, Ploplys E. A survey of North American burn and plastic surgeons on their current attitudes toward facial transplantation. J Am Coll Surg 2009;208:1051-8.
• 19 Burd A, Kawser A, Lam CKS, Thangavel A, Huang L. Stem cell strategies in burns care. Burns 2007;33:282-91.
• 20 Branski LK, Gauglitz GG, Herndon DN, Jeschke MG. A review of gene and stem cell therapy in cutaneous wound healing. Burns 2009;35:171-80.