Complications from Skin Branding: A Case Series
Author Information
Author(s): Raza Shahzad, Mahmood Khalid, Hakeem Abdul, Polsky Sylvie, Haemel Anna, Rai Soniya, Ali Baig Mahadi
Primary Institution: New York University
Hypothesis
What are the complications associated with skin branding as a treatment method?
Conclusion
Severe complications from branding are troublesome and the potential risks of this treatment outweigh its benefits.
Supporting Evidence
- All four patients had undergone branding for pain attributed to their chronic conditions.
- Mean duration between branding and admission to the hospital was 6 days.
- Two patients presented with septic shock, one with cavernous sinus thrombosis, and one with multiple splenic abscesses.
- Two patients died in the hospital due to complications from branding.
Takeaway
Branding is when hot metal is pressed against the skin, and it can cause really bad infections and other health problems.
Methodology
Case series of four patients who experienced severe complications after skin branding.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to reliance on case reports and subjective assessments of complications.
Limitations
The study is limited by the small sample size and lack of control group.
Participant Demographics
Four Pakistani patients, three male and one female, aged 25 to 60.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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