We undertook an analysis of the critical care burns data collections currently available in Australasia. The intention of this study was to determine the relevance of available datasets addressing information pertaining to the critical care burns population.
Clinical registries maintain databases for prescribed patient populations and facilitate reliable benchmarking. The collection of prospective information may be used to improve understanding of conditions and enhance the quality of care delivered. 1
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Annually in Australia, about 1% of the population sustains a thermal injury. 4
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A comprehensive online search resulted in the Burns Registry of Australia and New Zealand (BRANZ) and the Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society Adult Patient Database (ANZICS APD) being identified as the most authoritative organisations collecting data for burns and critical care within Australasia respectively. Both registries cover all admissions across Australian and New Zealand ICUs and burns units.
The Burns Outcomes from Intensive Care (BOICE), a single centre Australian database, was identified and used as a foundation for comparison, with permission of the authors at the Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales. We interrogated ANZICS APD and BRANZ to determine important critical care information available in BOICE but not included in these registries. Data dictionaries from each database were collected and analysed, enabling a comparison with the BOICE data dictionary. Each field was ranked on three criteria, including matching, comparable and non-matching variables. Matching fields were defined by the variables matching in clinical context and the permissible values being identical. Comparable fields were defined by having a similar clinical context; however, the permissible values differ and may require manipulation to be compatible. Missing fields were defined by variables that were absent when compared with the BOICE data dictionary.
During the 2017–2018 financial year, the ANZICS APD recorded over 170 000 unique critical care episodes with 183 adult ICUs across Australia and New Zealand contributing to the collection. During the 2017–2018 period, BRANZ recorded 3549 patients admitted to burns units, with 17 specialist burns units contributing to the registry. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reported that 2.9% of thermal injuries for the 2017–2018 financial year required time in the ICU. 9
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Injury in Australia: burns and other thermal causes [website]. Canberra: AIHW, 2021. https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/injury/burns-and-other-thermal-causes (viewed Oct 2021).
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