Modern Views on the Surgical Treatment Tactics for Deep Electrothermal Injuries

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To improve the treatment outcomes of patients with electrothermal lesions, we compared different surgical methods (modern vs traditional). MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this retrospective analysis, we studied patients with electrothermal lesions who were treated in our burn department at the Republican Research Center of Emergency Medicine (Tashkent, Uzbekistan) from 2008 to 2020. During this period, 445 patients with electric shock were treated; of these, 253 (56.8%) were children. RESULTS/CONCLUSIONS: Among the circumstances for electric trauma, most were household injuries (n = 411; 92.4%). Thirty-four patients (7.6%) had electric trauma injuries while at work. Most patients were men (n = 341; 76.6%). Of 445 patients, 326 (73.3%) had low-voltage electrical trauma, with skin lesions limited to an “electric mark.” In these patients with general electrical trauma and who did not require surgical interventions for thermal tissue lesions, the main emphasis was placed on monitoring cardiovascular activity and monitoring the reaction of parenchymal organs to the effects of low-voltage electricity. For patients who needed surgery, we found that modern methods of surgical treatment for deep electrothermal lesions can shorten the time required for closure of wounds and significantly reduce the development of inflammatory complications. Better treatment can reduce length of stays in the hospital.