Prehospital care of burns: An analysis of 3 years use of the emergency physician system (EPS) Cologne

Little information is available about the vital parameters of burns victims shortly after the accident. Therefore cases of burns, electrical and caustic injuries presenting to the Cologne Emergency Physician System over 3 years ( n=262) were prospectively studied and analysed. The average incidence in Cologne, Germany (population 1 million), of burns victims attended by the Emergency Medical System and emergency physicians at the scene was 74 adults and 14 children per year. Children are mainly injured by scalds (41.4 per cent); adults by fire accidents (43 per cent). A classification of the victims at the site of the accident according to their vital signs (Trauma Score (TS) after Champion H. R., Sacco W. J. and Carnazzo A. J. et al. (1981) Trauma Score. Crit. Care Med. 9, 672) showed, that inspite of a major burn injury, the vital signs were usually not or only slightly impaired. Subsequent measurements instituted by the emergency physician at the scene increased with decreasing initial TS. With TS=14, 50 per cent of the patients were intubated; below 14 points nearly 100 per cent. The fluid administered also increased with a decreasing TS.