Metabolomics of burn tissues
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Intracellular mechanisms of burn injury associated pain
IRAS ID
189004
Contact name
Marcela Vizcaychipi
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Chelsea and Westminister Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
5 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
Burn injury is one of the main sources of trauma. The global incidence of burn injuries requiring medical attention is 11 million annually (Peck, 2011). In Europe, 0.2-2.9 in 10000 people seek medical treatment due to burn injuries (Brusselaers et al., 2010), while in England and Wales, patients requiring more than 72 hours of hospitalisation after burn injury is ~4.7 in 100000 inhabitants (Kalson et al., 2012).
Burn injury-associated pain, particularly in areas of partial thickness injuries and that experienced during wound treatment represents one of the most excruciating burning and mechanical types (e.g. throbbing) of pain. In addition to maintaining vital functions and treating the wound, reducing pain is also a treatment priority in burn injury. Yet, burn victims very often report unacceptably poor management of their pain during treatment indicating that pain relief in burn injury is an unmet medical need (Carrougher et al., 2003; Esfahlan et al., 2010). The lack of efficient pain relief has dire personal and societal consequences (Ryan, Lee et al. 2015). Patients are likely to experience on-going enormous suffering and limited functional recovery due to lack of engagement with treatment. Further, burn patients, due to their inefficient pain relief, often develop various co-morbidities, including post-traumatic stress disorder and chronic pain (Browne et al., 2011; Pavoni et al., 2010). These consequences interfere gravely with daily activities (Pavoni et al., 2010), social interactions (Melentfan et al., 1996) and physical function (Corry et al., 2010). Hence, they impose further suffering for the patient and their relatives, undue demand on health systems and on social services, and huge financial loss for economies (Breivik et al., 2013). Improving pain relief in burn injury is of paramount importance. This proposed study will also allow us to assess the translational value of our findings in human models of burn injuries.REC name
London - Westminster Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/LO/0203
Date of REC Opinion
2 Mar 2016
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion