Abstract
INTRODUCTION: The novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) responsible for COVID-19 pandemic caused an unprecedented health care crisis. During pandemic burn centers had to preserve the ongoing burn care in a safe and ethical way. It is crucial to manage inpatients, outpatients, wards and staff carefully to prevent epidemia in burn units. Here, we aimed to report our burn care experience during the six months COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated our ambulatory and hospitalized burn patients during the six months COVID-19 pandemic (from March to September 2020) with respect to the demographic data, wound care, surgery, intensive care management. Based on the model of our infection control team, we formed first to third degree prevention methods while contacting with burn patients in our outpatient clinic, semi-sterile ward (with beds) and intensive care unit (with 4 beds) which were sterilized and ventilated regularly. During hospitalization, we restricted the degree of interaction during multidisciplinary rounds. To screen for nosocomial infections, patients were routinely tested with PCR test. RESULTS: 402 burn patients (158 paediatric, 244 adults) were managed as outpatients (n=332;82%) and in patients (n=70; 18%) in our burn centre. Total body surface area percentage of burn in hospitalized patients were 9, 95±2, 76 % in paediatric and 25, 34±3, 49 in adult group. Majority of the burns were scald (86.7% paediatric, 60.5% adults) burns. We successfully performed 66 surgical debridement and grafting procedures. Three adult patients had mechanical ventilation support during follow up and one of them died due to multi organ failure with negative PCR. We detected COVID-19 in 2 patients and both of them were discharged successfully. CONCLUSIONS: According to our results, when precautions are taken, burn care can be managed successfully without posing any risk to patients during the pandemic period.