Evaluation of Burn Care in Florida

Abstract

To determine if additional burn-care facilities or educational programs for burn care were needed within Florida, 73 of the state's 220 hospitals were studied. Data were collected on hospital statistics for a one-year period, as well as on 1656 patients admitted for burns to these hospitals during that year. When results were adjusted for severity of the injury, there was no evidence that outcomes of patients were better in any one or group of the State's eight regions, or in hospitals that had special burn units. Considerable evidence, however, indicated the need for additional educational programs in burn care. Many records were poor, admissions were inappropriate, patients with minor burns stayed too long, and burn shock was too frequent. (N Engl J Med 296:311–315, 1977)