The Noise Floor, Signal-to-Noise Ratio, and Demonstrating That Burn Care is Getting Better: A Glimmer from the National Burn Repository

One of the most fundamental concepts in engineering and physical science disciplines is that of signal-to-noise ratio, often abbreviated “S/N.” Basically, when measuring or quantifying phenomena of interest, it is desirable to have the “signal” of interest stand out sharply against the background random noise so that accurate measurements can be made. When this doesn't happen, scientists and engineers speak of the signal being “lost” in the “noise floor.” The goal of these “Glimmers” is to encourage our readership to mine the National Burn Repository (NBR) for information as a commonplace activity. Towards that goal, a helpful warning about the S/N problem and steady words of encouragement are a timely and worthwhile purpose for this month's installment. Contemplate Figures 1, 2 and please read on. Two of the authors are actively practicing surgeons who are both approaching their second full decade of caring for burn victims. From that experiential point of view, there is simply no doubt that the state of the science and the state of the art of burn care is tangibly better than when we were nascent surgeons. The two included figures demonstrate that NBR data supporting progressive improvements in burn care may sometimes be lost in the noise floor and require steps to increase the S/N so that our better results stand out sharply and convincingly.