Prognostic scoring systems in burns: A review

Abstract Survival after burn has steadily improved over the last few decades. Patient mortality is, however, still the primary outcome measure for burn care. Scoring systems aim to use the most predictive premorbid and injury factors to yield an expected likelihood of death for a given patient. Age,...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Burns 2011-12, Vol.37 (8), p.1288-1295
Main Authors: Sheppard, N.N, Hemington-Gorse, S, Shelley, O.P, Philp, B, Dziewulski, P
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Age Factors
APACHE
Biological and medical sciences
Biomarkers - analysis
Burns
Burns - mortality
Burns - pathology
Critical Care
Humans
Medical sciences
Mortality
Predictive Value of Tests
Prognosis
Risk Factors
Scoring system
Severity of Illness Index
Sex Factors
Smoke Inhalation Injury - mortality
Traumas. Diseases due to physical agents
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Summary:Abstract Survival after burn has steadily improved over the last few decades. Patient mortality is, however, still the primary outcome measure for burn care. Scoring systems aim to use the most predictive premorbid and injury factors to yield an expected likelihood of death for a given patient. Age, burn surface area and inhalational injury remain the mainstays of burn prognostication, but their relative weighting varies between scoring systems. Biochemical markers may hold the key to predicting outcomes in burns. Alternatively, the incorporation of global scales such as those used in the general intensive care unit may have relevance in burn patients. Outcomes other than mortality are increasingly relevant, especially as mortality after burns continues to improve. The evolution of prognostic scoring in burns is reviewed with specific reference to the more widely regarded measures. Alternative approaches to burn prognostication are reviewed along with evidence for the use of outcomes other than mortality. The purpose and utility of prognostic scoring in general is discussed with relevance to its potential uses in audit, research and at the bedside.
ISSN:0305-4179
1879-1409
DOI:10.1016/j.burns.2011.07.017