Locally Produced Microbial Cellulose Dressing from Acetobacter xylinum Compared with Silver Sulfadiazine Cream for Patients with Acute Superficial Partial Thickness Burn Wounds: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

Objective: To compare the efficacy and safety of microbial cellulose (MCD) dressing from Acetobacter xylinum in promoting healing of superficial partial thickness burn wounds to standard dressing using silver sulfadiazine (SSD) cream and gauze in terms of the following: time to healing, pain score, scarring and infection rate. Population: Subjects included patients seen at the ATR Burn Center UP-PGH from February 2008 to December 2010. Patients were 18- 50 years of age with<40% TBSA, acutely injured (≤ 48 hours) and with no uncontrolled medical condition. Pregnant patients were excluded. Methods: Each subject served as his own control, wherein burn wounds were randomized into 2 types of wound dressing. Wounds were assessed by a lone plastic surgeon blinded to all treatments. Results: Forty-five patients who fulfilled the inclusion criteria were seen and treated at the ATR Burn Center of the UP-PGH. Wounds dressed with MCD healed more rapidly compared to those dressed with SSD. The mean healing days were 8.51 and 12.07 for MC and SSD (P<0.05). Only 29 subjects were able to return on the 30th post burn day for assessment of scarring. Conclusion: Locally produced MCD is more efficacious compared to SSD in the treatment of SPT burns in terms faster healing and lower VAS scores. Key words: superficial partial thickness burn, Acetobacter xylinum