Verdoglobinuria phenomenon in severe electrical burns.

Abstract

Verdoglobinuria is considered to be an ominous sign of Pseudomonas aeruginosa septicaemia in burns. No report of the survival of a case with this phenomenon could be found in the literature. Stone et al. (1964) first reported verdoglobinuria as an important diagnostic basis for P. aeruginosa septicaemia in burns. A patient with high-tension electrical injury was admitted to our hospital burn department in 1977. Verdoglobinuria occurred. This patient is reported as follows. There was a large defect in the left chest wall with exposure of the heart and secondary P. aeruginosa pyothorax which happened during the early stage of injury. It led to septicopyraemic shock. The patient's urine was examined under ultraviolet rays, the fluorescence was ultrapositive. Verdoglobinuria was positive proof. After active measures were administered, the patient was out of danger from this septicopyraemic shock. The metabolism mechanism of verdoglobin, diagnostic effect of verdoglobinuria on P. aeruginosa septicaemia in severe burns and treatment are discussed.