Spread of Burn and Non-burn Pathologies, Anaesthetic Support and some Management Data.

In this article we present the surgical activity of the Burns Service in the University Hospital Centre in Tirana. Not only burn patients but also patients with trauma and soft tissue losses are hospitalized in a burns centre, as well as patients needing plastic surgery coming from similar specialities. In 2006, 1127 patients were subjected to surgery in our service. The techniques of anaesthesia used are general anaesthesia (endotracheal tube, laryngeal mask airway, intravenous) and regional anaesthesia. An anaesthesiologist acting in the role of physician manager can add significant value to the overall operating room process by improving efficiency in resource utilization and simultaneously quality of care. We have found that giving priority to burns, including burns sequelae and other hospitalized burn patients, if possible in day surgery, can optimize the bed occupancy rate.