Table 1.
Participant demographic and clinical variables
| Variable | Intervention n=37 |
Control n=35 |
| Patient age (years) | ||
| 0–3 | 20 (54%) | 27 (77%) |
| 4–7 | 9 (24%) | 5 (14%) |
| 8–16 | 8 (22%) | 3 (9%) |
| Indigenous status | ||
| Not indigenous | 34 (92%) | 33 (94%) |
| Aboriginal | 2 (5%) | 2 (6%) |
| Torres Strait Islander | 1 (3%) | 0 (0%) |
| Gender | ||
| Male | 22 (59%) | 19 (54%) |
| Mechanism of injury | ||
| Scald | 26 (70%) | 28 (80%) |
| Contact | 8 (22%) | 7 (20%) |
| Flame | 2 (5%) | 0 (0%) |
| Flash | 1 (3%) | 0 (0%) |
| Burn source | ||
| Hot beverage | 10 (27%) | 14 (40%) |
| Water from kettle/saucepan/tap | 7 (19%) | 10 (29%) |
| Noodles | 7 (19%) | 3 (9%) |
| Food (other) | 1 (3%) | 1 (3%) |
| Stove/oven/barbeque | 4 (11%) | 3 (9%) |
| Lighter | 2 (5%) | 0 (0%) |
| Hair straightener/curling iron | 1 (3%) | 2 (6%) |
| Fireplace/sun heated metal | 2 (5%) | 2 (6%) |
| Hot oil/wax | 2 (5%) | 0 (0%) |
| Aerosol can explosion | 1 (3%) | 0 (0%) |
| Burn TBSA percentage | 2 (1–4) | 2 (1–4) |
| Burn depth | ||
| Superficial partial thickness | 30 (81%) | 24 (69%) |
| Deep dermal partial thickness | 7 (19%) | 11 (31%) |
| Burn wound perfusion | n=48* | n=43* |
| LDI mean PU | 696 (293) | 679 (276) |
| LDI Minimum PU | 144 (143) | 110 (104) |
| Anatomical region affected | ||
| Upper limb and/or hand | 19 (51%) | 20 (57%) |
| Lower limb and/or foot | 11 (30%) | 10 (29%) |
| Chest, abdomen, and/or back | 12 (32%) | 13 (37%) |
| Head, face, and/or neck | 8 (22%) | 10 (29%) |
| Buttocks, perineum, and/or genitals | 5 (14%) | 2 (6%) |
| Number of anatomical regions affected | ||
| 1 | 24 (65%) | 21 (60%) |
| 2 | 8 (22%) | 9 (26%) |
| 3 | 5 (14%) | 4 (11%) |
| 4 | 0 (0%) | 1 (3%) |
| Required medication in the ED | ||
| Paracetamol | 32 (86%) | 33 (94%) |
| Ibuprofen | 26 (70%) | 28 (80%) |
| Oxycodone | 21 (57%) | 21 (60%) |
| Fentanyl | 28 (76%) | 27 (77%) |
| Nitrous | 4 (11%) | 4 (11%) |
| Ketamine | 1 (3%) | 1 (3%) |
| Methoxyflurane | 2 (5%) | 1 (3%) |
| Morphine | 1 (3%) | 0 (0%) |
| Midazolam | 1 (3%) | 0 (0%) |
| Polypharmacy | ||
| 0 | 1 (3%) | 0 (0%) |
| 1 | 4 (11%) | 3 (9%) |
| 2 | 4 (11%) | 4 (11%) |
| 3 | 14 (38%) | 12 (34%) |
| 4 | 10 (27%) | 12 (34%) |
| 5 | 2 (5%) | 4 (11%) |
| 6 | 2 (5%) | 0 (0%) |
| Distraction techniques | ||
| Nil | 13 (35%) | 9 (26%) |
| Lollies/food | 1 (3%) | 4 (11%) |
| Sleeping | 2 (5%) | 1 (3%) |
| Television/phone distraction | 15 (41%) | 11 (31%) |
| Bubbles/toys | 5 (14%) | 7 (20%) |
| Music therapy/clown doctors | 1 (3%) | 2 (6%) |
| Ditto distraction device | 0 (0%) | 1 (3%) |
| Definitive dressings applied in ED | ||
| Acticoat 3+Mepitel + Hypafix | 13 (35%) | 10 (29%) |
| Acticoat 7+Mepitel + Hypafix | 7 (19%) | 8 (23%) |
| Mepilex Ag+Hypafix | 16 (43%) | 16 (46%) |
| Paraffin wax | 1 (3%) | 1 (3%) |
| Time (minutes) to ED presentation | n=36 | n=34 |
| 90 (66–137) | 79 (60–119) | |
| Time (minutes) spent in ED | 106.5 (66–151) | 113 (76–180) |
| Time (minutes) dressing was applied to burn | 34 (22–61) | 35 (5–150) |
| Documented first aid (20 min CRW) | 36 (97%) | 34 (97%) |
| QAS applied Burnaid | 11 (30%) | 7 (20%) |
| QAS applied PVC film | 8 (22%) | 11 (31%) |
| High pain risk stratum | 8 (22%) | 9 (26%) |
Data are presented as median (IQR) for continuous measures, and N (%) for categorical measures unless stated otherwise.
*As a result of patients having multiple burns to different anatomical regions, LDI scans were taken of 91 burn wounds from 58 patients: n=48 burns for the intervention group and n=43 wounds for the control.
CRW, cold running water; ED, emergency department; LDI, laser Doppler imaging; n, number of participants; PU, perfusion units; PVC, plasticised polyvinylchloride; QAS, Queensland ambulance service; TBSA, total body surface area.