Early graft in patients with burn wounds: A two-year retrospective study of 582 patients at a referral burn center in northern Iran

Abstract

Skin graft is the main treatment for burn wounds, which provides a favorable functional and aesthetic scar outcome. This study aimed to assess early graft in patients with burn wounds admitted to a referral burn center in northern Iran. This retrospective research was conducted on 582 patients with burn wounds with an early graft between May 2019 to 2021 at a referral burn center in northern Iran. Data gathering was conducted from May 2019 to 2021. A total of 582 patients with burn wounds with early graft were enrolled in this research. Of the patients, 91.41% were treated with one graft and 60.14% were treated with grafts less than 10% in size. The average graft/burn ratio in patients with burn wounds was 0.75 (SD=0.52). Also, 55.15% of patients with burn wounds had Graft/burn ratio less than 0.75 (P=0.03). The mean length of stay in hospital in patients with burn wounds was 7.20 (SD=6.10). 61.34% of patients with burn wounds had stayed less than seven days in the hospital after early grafting. 4.12% of patients with burn wounds died due to early grafts (P<0.001). Although in the past decades, progress had been made in skin grafts for burns in Iran, however, prevention of complications and negative outcomes of burns and timely treatment of patients is still weak in Iran. Overall, the present study showed that patients with burn wounds with early grafts in Iran have had better clinical outcomes compared with low- and middle-income countries.