Partial-thickness Burn Wounds Research Articles

Effects of early debridement and conservative eschar removal followed by wound coverage with acellular dermal matrix in the treatment of children with deep burns

Effects of early debridement and conservative eschar removal followed by wound coverage with acellular dermal matrix in the treatment of children with deep burns

A randomized controlled trial on the effect of early eschar dermabrasion combined with antimicrobial soft silicone foam dressing in the treatment of deep partial-thickness burn wounds in children

Objective: To explore the effect of early eschar dermabrasion combined with antimicrobial soft silicone foam dressing (hereinafter referred to as foam dressing) in treating the deep partial-thickness burn wounds in children. Methods: This study was a randomized controlled trial. From June 2021 to December 2022, 78 pediatric patients with deep partial-thickness burns who met the inclusion criteria were admitted to the Department of Burns in Guiyang Steel Plant Employees Hospital. According to the random number table, the pediatric patients were divided into two groups, with 38 cases left in combined treatment group (with 20 males and 18 females, aged 26.00 (16.75, 39.75) months) and 39 cases in foam dressing group (with 21 males and 18 females, aged 19.00 (14.00, 31.00) months) after the exclusion of one dropped-out child in follow-up. The pediatric patients in combined treatment group underwent eschar dermabrasion of the wound within 48 hours after injury, the wound was covered with foam dressing after operation, and the dressing was replaced once every 7 days; for the pediatric patients in foam dressing group, the wound was sterilized within 48 hours after injury and covered with foam dressing, and the dressing was replaced once every 2 to 3 days. After the wound healing, the children in both groups were routinely applied with silicone gel twice a day for 3 weeks before started wearing elastic sleeves for more than 18 hours a day, and continuously for over than 6 months. The degree of pain during dressing change was evaluated using the children's pain behavior inventory FLACC. The adverse reactions during the treatment period, number of dressing changes, and wound healing time were observed and recorded. Six months after wound healing, the Vancouver scar scale (VSS) was used to evaluate the condition of the wound scar. Results: When changing dressing, the FLACC score for pain of pediatric patients in combined treatment group was 3.5 (2.0, 5.0), which was significantly lower than 6.0 (5.0, 8.0) in foam dressing group (Z=-5.40, P<0.05). During the treatment period, no adverse reactions such as wound edema, fluid accumulation, or peripheral skin rash allergies occurred in any pediatric patient in both groups. The number of dressing changes of pediatric patients in combined treatment group was 3 (3, 4) times, which was significantly less than 8 (7, 10) times in foam dressing group (Z=-7.58, P<0.05). The wound healing time of pediatric patients in combined treatment group was (19±5) days, which was significantly shorter than (25±6) days in foam dressing group (t=-4.48, P<0.05). Six months after wound healing, the VSS score for scar of pediatric patients in combined treatment group was 5 (2, 8), which was significantly lower than 7 (5, 10) in foam dressing group (Z=-3.05, P<0.05). Conclusions: Compared with using foam dressings alone, early eschar dermabrasion combined with foam dressings can reduce the number of dressing changes, alleviate the pain during dressing changes, and shorten the wound healing time in treating children with deep partial-thickness burns, and effectively alleviate scar hyperplasia by combining with anti-scar treatment post burns.

Autologous nanofat harvested from donor site of full-thickness skin or skin flap grafting for the treatment of early postburn scarring: a case series.

Postburn scarring often presents a specific reconstructive challenge from both functional and cosmetic perspectives. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether autologous nanofat harvested from the donor site of full skin or a skin flap can be reused for the treatment of early postburn scaring. From July 2018 to April 2022, patients with early postburn scarring underwent scar reconstruction surgery with full-thickness skin or a skin flap for a contour deformity and/or scar contracture, and autologous nanofat grafting was performed during the same operation. The Vancouver Scar Score (VSS) and the itch and pain scores were evaluated at the preoperation time point as well as at 2-3 weeks and 3-months postoperation. A comparison was made among the same patients at different time points. A total of 17 patients, aged from 18 months to 62 years old were included in this analysis. The VSS was reduced from 10.00 ± 2.12 to 7.41 ± 1.277 at the 2-3-week postoperation time point, and to 5.53 ± 1.37 at the 3-month postoperation time point. The pain and itch score were reduced from 4.65 ± 1.37 and 6.35 ± 1.27, to 3.70 ± 1.10 and 4.94 ± 1.30 at the 2-3-week postoperation time point, and to 3.00 ± 1.28 and 3.94 ± 0.97 at the 3-month postoperation time point respectively. The VSS and pain and itch scores showed a statistically significant reduction (P < 0.05) at the 2-3-week and 3-month postoperative follow-ups compared with the preoperation time point. Autologous nanofat grafting from donor sites of full thickness skin or skin flap may be a promising treatment for an early postburn scaring as it promotes scar softening, improves itching and pain within the scar. However, this is a small case series with only 17 patients. Further conclusions need to be drawn through expanded samples for randomized controlled clinical trials. Hypertrophic scarring is the most common complication after partial thickness burn injury, and the complex pathogenesis and prolonged dynamic process render treatments only marginally effective. In the past few decades, with the technological advances of liposuction and fat grafting, nanofat grafting has been used in a variety of surgical fields, including wound healing, scleroderma, facial rejuvenation, and neuralgia. However, the role of nanofat grafting is not well documented in the prevention and treatment of early postburn scarring. Full-thickness skin grafting or skin flap transplantation is the most common method for the reconstruction of a hypertrophic scaring until now. In the current study, we harvested subcutaneous fat during the preparation of the full-thickness skin or skin flap, prepared nanofat and injected it in the scar located at a nonsurgical site. Comparison of the pre- and postoperation scores for scar color, scar thickness, scar stiffness, and scar regularity showed that the postoperation scores were decreased significantly and that there was a significant improvement in scar pigmentation and thickness as well astheaesthetic outcome after treatment. Most importantly, reductions in the scores for pain and itching could be assessed objectively. It seems that the nanofat grafting is a potential method for prevention and treatment for early postburn scaring.

Subcutaneous Anti-inflammatory Therapies to Prevent Burn Progression ina Swine Model ofContact Burn Injury.

If left untreated, burn injuries can deepen or progress in depth within the first 72 hours after injury as a result of increased wound inflammation, subsequently worsening healing outcomes. This can be especially detrimental to warfighters who are constrained to resource-limited environments with delayed evacuation times to higher roles of care and more effective treatment. Preventing this burn progression at the point of injury has the potential to improve healing outcomes but requires a field-deployable therapy and delivery system. Subcutaneous therapies known to treat inflammation delivered local to the wound site may prove to be one such avenue for success. Seven Yorkshire-cross swine received partial-thickness burn injuries using a previously established contact burn model. Each animal received one of the seven therapies: (1) saline, (2) heparin, (3) ibuprofen, (4) erythropoietin, (5) resolvin, (6) rapamycin, and (7) placental extract, all of which are either currently employed or are experimental in field use and indicated to treat inflammation. Treatments were delivered subcutaneously on the day of injury and 24 hours post-injury to simulate a prolonged field care scenario, before potential evacuation. Animals and wound development were observed for 28 days before euthanasia. Throughout the course of the study, wounds were observed macroscopically via non-invasive imaging. Histological analyses provided the critical metric of burn progression. Treatment success criteria were designated as the ability to prevent burn progression past 80% of the dermal depth in two of the three treated wounds, a clinically relevant metric of burn progression. It was determined that the applied model successfully created reproducible partial-thickness burn injuries in this porcine study. No significant differences with regard to lateral wound size or the rate of lateral wound closure were observed in any treatments. Several treatments including resolvin, rapamycin, ibuprofen, and erythropoietin successfully reduced burn progression to less than 80% of the dermal depth in two of the three wounds, 24 hours after injury. This report employs an established model of porcine contact burn injury in order to test the ability of local subcutaneous delivery of therapeutics to prevent burn progression at the point of injury, via what is believed to be the inhibition of inflammation. Several treatments successfully prevented burn progression to a full-thickness injury, potentially improving wound healing outcomes in a simulated battlefield scenario. Subcutaneously administered therapies combating burn-induced inflammation at the point of injury may serve as a field-deployable treatment modality to improve warfighter recovery and return to duty.

Role of antimicrobial coated allogenic dried amniotic membrane in partial thickness burns

Objectives: Human amniotic membrane (HAM) is the biological scaffold for burn wound management. Allogenic HAM helps in promoting the healing of partial-thickness burn wounds. In this case study, we share our experience in using the antimicrobial-coated HAM. Material and Methods: The subject was an 8-year-old male child, who had accidental electrocution while playing near the electrical transformer and developed second-degree superficial and deep burns over the chest, abdomen, and bilateral lower limb. The child underwent tangential excision of the deep burns, and partial thickness burns are covered with dried allogenic HAM. Results: Intraoperative and postoperative periods were uneventful for the patient. The raw area took up the AM well, and burn wounds healed well in the second-degree superficial burns. A deep burns wound bed was prepared, and split skin grafting was done to the raw area. The wounds healed well after two weeks with minimal scarring. No complications or side effects were noted. Conclusion: Allogenic HAM plays a role in burn wound healing in burns. It helps in promoting the wound healing process.

Fish Skin Grafts Affect Adenosine and Methionine Metabolism during Burn Wound Healing.

Burn wound healing is a complex process orchestrated through successive biochemical events that span from weeks to months depending on the depth of the wound. Here, we report an untargeted metabolomics discovery approach to capture metabolic changes during the healing of deep partial-thickness (DPT) and full-thickness (FT) burn wounds in a porcine burn wound model. The metabolic changes during healing could be described with six and seven distinct metabolic trajectories for DPT and FT wounds, respectively. Arginine and histidine metabolism were the most affected metabolic pathways during healing, irrespective of burn depth. Metabolic proxies for oxidative stress were different in the wound types, reaching maximum levels at day 14 in DPT burns but at day 7 in FT burns. We examined how acellular fish skin graft (AFSG) influences the wound metabolome compared to other standard-or-care burn wound treatments. We identified changes in metabolites within the methionine salvage pathway, specifically in DPT burn wounds that is novel to the understanding of the wound healing process. Furthermore, we found that AFSGs boost glutamate and adenosine in wounds that is of relevance given the importance of purinergic signaling in regulating oxidative stress and wound healing. Collectively, these results serve to define biomarkers of burn wound healing. These results conclusively contribute to the understanding of the multifactorial mechanism of the action of AFSG that has traditionally been attributed to its structural properties and omega-3 fatty acid content.

Expert consensus on the management of deep partial-thickness burn wounds in pediatric patients (2023 version)

Burns are the leading cause of accidental injuries among Chinese children. Due to the strong wound repair ability and the demand for growth and development in pediatric patients, there are many options for the treatment of deep partial-thickness burn wounds in pediatric patients, while many controversies about the strategies for treatment of this kind of wounds also exist. This article assembled the consensus reached by experts in burns and relevant fields in China and abroad on the management of thermal-induced deep partial-thickness burn wounds in pediatric patients aged 1-6 years, including definition and diagnosis, surgical treatment, non-surgical treatment, wound dressings, application of growth factors, treatment of infectious wounds, prevention and treatment of scar, to provide guiding recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of deep partial-thickness burn wounds in pediatric patients in China.

Human amniotic membranes as an allogenic biological dressing for the treatment of burn wounds: Protocol for a randomized-controlled study

BackgroundBurn wounds pose significant challenges in medical treatment due to their devastating nature and resource-intensive requirements. Temporary coverage of burn wounds using synthetic or biological dressings allows for reepithelization before definitive skin grafting. Allogenic skin grafts have been widely used but come with drawbacks such as rejection and disease transmission. The use of amniotic membranes (AMs) offers a promising alternative for temporary coverage, as they possess biological properties that promote faster healing and improved scar quality. The various components of the amniotic membrane, including pluripotent stem cells, extracellular matrix proteins, and regenerative factors, contribute to cell growth, migration, and differentiation, as well as preservation of the original epithelial phenotype. ObjectiveReliable information on the treatment of burn wounds with AM is needed. The knowledge gained in this project may help to include this advantageous modern concept of biological dressings in clinical practice. The purpose of this study is to use human amniotic membranes from our in hospital laboratory, as an allogenic biological dressing after enzymatic debridement in superficial partial thickness, deep partial thickness or full thickness burn wounds. MethodsWe will include 30 patients in a randomized-controlled trial with each patient receiving the study intervention and the control intervention. Two 7 × 7 cm burn wound areas will be compared regarding percentage of skin graft take, healing time, healing percentage value and total healing time. Human amniotic membranes will be compared to allogenic skin grafts.

Treatment of superficial and deep partial width second degree burn's wound with allogeneic cord blood platelet gel.

Burns are caused by a variety of mechanisms, including flames, hot liquids, metallurgy, chemicals, electric current, and ionizing and non-ionizing radiation. The most significant burn wound management involves complete repair and regeneration as soon as possible while minimizing infection, contraction, and scarring in the damaged tissue area. Some factors such as delivery of nutrients, growth factors, and oxygen are essential to promote and stimulate the wound healing progress in the burns area. When these factors are not provided, the burn wound undergoes a physiological crisis. The use of growth factors is a promising approach to overcoming this limitation. Umbilical cord blood platelet concentrates are a rich natural source of growth factors. This clinical trial used growth factors released from the lysis of umbilical cord blood platelet concentrates that have a key role in promoting re-epithelization and regeneration of damaged tissues by forming a fibrin network. This study evaluated the effectiveness of allogeneic cord blood platelet gel topical dressing in a group of patients diagnosed with superficial and deep partial thickness (second-degree) burn wounds. Clinical outcomes were compared between the intervention group and a control group of patients with superficial second-degree burn wounds who received the standard routine treatment including paraffin gauze wound dressing and silver sulfadiazine ointment. The study's results showed that the increased rate of recovery and tissue granulation completely promoted to wound healing and burn wound closure, decreased the recovery time, and reduced inflammation and scars caused by burn injuries. However, the use of cord blood platelet gel topical dressing is not currently a routine treatment method in patients suffering from burn wounds. However, the study's results showed that allogenic cord blood platelet gel could be used to treat superficial and deep second-degree burns as a routine treatment. It was also shown that allogenic cord blood platelet gel topical dressing could be a candidate for autograft or after autograft skin transplantation surgery (in donor and recipient sites) instead of skin surgery in some patients. Allogeneic topical wound dressing provides an effective treatment that offers a faster rate of epithelialization and healing of wounds and also decreases patients' scar and inflammation level as well as the length of recovery time. This, finally, leads to better burn wound management and the improved quality of burn wound treatment.

The Effect of Platelet Rich Plasma versus MSCs Derived Exosomes on the Healing of Burn Injury in Albino Rat: Histological Study

Abstract Background The clinical treatment of skin loss due to severe and massive burns or wounds continues to be a major problem in surgical procedures. Although different kinds of dressings and therapies have been developed, but most of them are expensive. Therefore, new strategies are needed to promote and help in wound healing and repair. Recent studies have demonstrated that exosomes help tissue repair because of high stability, non immune rejection and easy control of dosage and concentration. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is an autologous concentration of platelets in concentrated plasma. It has been used to promote soft and hard tissue healing. Aim to compare the effect of MSCs derived exosomes versus PRP on the promotion of healing of experimentally induced second degree partial thickness burn injury in adult male albino rats. Methods The thirty-two adult male albino rats were divided randomly into 4 groups. Group I (control). Group II (burn injury group) that will be left for spontaneous healing. Group III (burn injury treated with PRP intradermal injection). Group IV (burn injury treated with intradermal MSCs derived exosome). All the animals were sacrificed at 7th day (subgroup a) and 21th day (subgroup b). The skin biopsies will be taken and processed for light microscope examination. Results H&amp;E stained section of untreated burn (subgroup IIa) showed coagulative necrosis in epidermis and papillary layer of the dermis. Sign of epithelial migration from the edge of the wound appeared. In Subgroup IIb the surface of the wound was covered by an eschar that converted partial thickness into complete thickness. This resulted in formation of granulation tissue in the dermis. In Subgroup IIIa showed the formation of thin layer of epidermis containing undifferentiated keratinocytes. The underlying dermis contained collagen fibers and beginning of new hair follicles formation. Some specimens in Subgroup IIIb revealed thin epidermis with incomplete differentiation of keratinocytes. Numerous hair follicles were detected in the dermis. However some specimens showed thickened epidermis with presence of rete ridges. The dermis showed few irregularly distributed collagen fibers in granulation tissue with absence of skin appendages. In exosome treated group (subgroup IVa) showed thin epidermis with well differentiated keratinocytes. The dermis contained collagen fibers with absence of skin appendages. Subgroup IVb was more or less similar to the control group. Conclusion The current study revealed that burn treated exosomes group was better than PRP treated group. In addition PRP treated group revealed hyperplastic changes in epidermis with delay in remodeling phase of burn healing.

Effects of advanced platelet-rich fibrin on deep partial-thickness burn wounds in nude mice

Effects of advanced platelet-rich fibrin on deep partial-thickness burn wounds in nude mice

Full-thickness skin columns: A method to reduce healing time and donor site morbidity in deep partial-thickness burns.

The current standard of care for the coverage of large wounds often involves split thickness skin grafts (STSGs) which have numerous limitations. One promising technique that has gained traction is fractional autologous skin grafting using full-thickness skin columns (FTSC). Harvesting occurs orthogonally by taking numerous individual skin columns containing the epidermis down through the dermis and transferring them to the wound bed. The purpose of this porcine study was to investigate the efficacy of implanting FTSCs directly into deep partial-thickness burn wounds, as well as examining donor site healing at the maximal harvest density. It was hypothesised that by utilising FTSCs, the rate of healing in deep partial thickness burns can be improved without incurring the donor morbidity seen in other methods of skin grafting. Deep partial-thickness burns were created on the dorsum of female red duroc swine, debrided 3 days later and FTSCs were implanted at varying expansion ratios directly into the burn wounds. At day 14, 1:50 expansion ratio showed significantly faster re-epithelialisation compared to the debrided burn control and 1:200. Donor sites (at 7%-10% harvest density) were 100% re-epithelialised by day 7. Additionally, the maximal harvest density was determined to be 28% in an ex vivo model, which then five donor sites were harvested at 28% density on a red duroc swine and compared to five STSG donor sites. At maximal harvest density, FTSC donor sites were significantly less hypopigmented compared to STSGs, but no significant differences were observed in re-epithelialisation, contraction, blood flow or dermal thickness. In conclusion, implantation directly into deep partial-thickness burns is a viable option for the application of FTSCs, favouring lower expansion ratios like 1:50 or lower. Little difference in donor site morbidity was observed between FTSC at a maximal harvest density of 28% and STSGs, exceeding the optimal harvest density.

A Soft Skin Adhesive (SSA) Patch for Extended Release of Pirfenidone in Burn Wounds.

As much as half or more of deep partial-thickness burn wounds develop hypertrophic scarring and contracture. Once formed, treatments are only minimally effective. Pirfenidone (Pf), indicated for treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, is an anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic small molecule that potentially can be repurposed as a preventative against scarring in burn wounds. We present a drug-in-matrix patch with a soft skin adhesive (SSA) wound-contacting layer for multi-day drug delivery of Pf into burn wounds at the point of injury. Our patch construction consists of an SSA adhesive layer (Liveo™ MG7-9850, Dupont, Wilmington, DE, USA) for wound fixation, an acrylic co-polymer drug matrix (DURO-TAK 87-2852, Henkel, Düsseldorf, Germany) as the drug (Pf) reservoir, and an outermost protective polyurethane backing. By employing a drug-in-matrix patch design, Pf can be loaded as high as 2 mg/cm2. Compared to the acrylic co-polymer adhesive patch preparations and commercial films, adding an SSA layer markedly reduces skin stripping observed under scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Moreover, the addition of varying SSA thicknesses did not interfere with the in vitro release kinetics or drug permeation in ex vivo porcine skin. The Pf patch can be easily applied onto and removed from deep partial-thickness burn wounds on Duroc pigs. Continuous multi-day dosing of Pf by the patches (>200 μg/cm2/day) reduced proinflammatory biomarkers in porcine burn wounds. Pf patches produced by the manual laboratory-scale process showed excellent stability, maintaining intact physical patch properties and in vitro biological activity for up to one year under long-term (25 °C at 60% RH) and 6 months under accelerated (40 °C at 75% RH) test conditions. To manufacture our wound safe-and-extended-release patch, we present scale-up processes using a machine-driven automated roll-to-roll pilot scale coater.

Effect of Adipose Derived Stromal Vascular Fraction on The Early Inflammatory Phase of Burn Wound Healing in Male Rat Model

Objectives: Severe burn treatment remains challenging. Research has investigated the efficacy of stem cells and stromal vascular fraction (SVF) in many types of injuries. SVF has advantages for its heterogenous population of cells and avoidance of culturing and ethical issues. SVF can be isolated either enzymatically or mechanically. Enzymatically isolated SVF reduced inflammation and enhanced neovascularization and re-epithelization in the treatment of burn injury. This study highlighted the efficacy of applying mechanically isolated SVF on the early inflammatory phase of deep partial-thickness burn by investigating toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) signaling pathway.&#x0D; Methods: 30 male Wistar rats with deep partial-thickness burns were assigned into: the control group, silver sulfadiazine (SSD) cream group, and mechanically isolated SVF group. Morphological, histopathological evaluation of inflammation, and immunohistochemical analysis for (TLR4, TNF-α, IL‐1β, and IL-6) were evaluated for the first eight days post-treatment.&#x0D; Results: Morphologically, the SVF group significantly reduced edema and increased wound bed dryness on day one compared to the control group (P=0.0001) and to the SSD group (P=0.001). Histopathologically, the SVF group significantly reduced inflammation four days post-treatment compared with the control group (P=0.045). The SVF group significantly reduced TLR4 protein expression on days four and eight post-treatment compared with the control group (P= 0.001, P= 0.042, respectively). The TNF-α protein expression in the SVF group was significantly lower on days four and eight post-treatment compared with the control group (P= 0.046, P= 0.046, respectively) and with the SSD group (P= 0.008, P= 0.001, respectively). The IL‐1β expression was significantly reduced in the SVF group compared to the control group on day four post-treatment (P= 0.017). There were no significant differences in IL-6 expressions between all groups on both days.&#x0D; Conclusion: The mechanical isolation of SVF has an early anti-inflammatory impact on deep partial-thickness burn injury. This effect could be through inhibiting TLR4, TNF-α, and IL‐1β pathways. This could partially explain the mechanism behind SVF efficacy in the healing process of burn injury.

509 Relationship of Full Thickness Burn And Volume of Initial Fluid Resuscitation After Major Burn Injury

Abstract Introduction Full thickness burn injury affects the host response to burn injury differently that partial thickness burn injury. Current guidelines for initial resuscitation calculate fluid infusion based on Total Body Surface Area (TBSA) affected and patient’s weight. The widely used formula does not offer guidance based on the depth of the injury. We present an investigation into relationship of full thickness burn injury on fluid resuscitation. This study was approved by our Institutional Review Board. Methods We performed a retrospective review of patients’ charts who were admitted after major burn injury of greater than 20% TBSA to a busy regional burn center. We included patients over age of 14 years admitted from year 2014-2019. We excluded patients who did not have complete resuscitation data, allowing 99 patients for analysis. We performed t test to uncover relationship of age, gender, body weight, TBSA and percent of full thickness burn with fluid received during initial resuscitation with significance set at p &amp;lt; 0.05. Results The volume of fluids given during initial resuscitation was significantly affected by gender and full thickness burn injury. Fluids requirement for females was 4.6ml/kg/TBSA vs males was 3.3ml/kg/TBSA (p value 0.04). Fluid requirement for full thickness burn was 8.4ml/kg/TBSA vs 3.7ml/kg/TBSA for all patients (p=0.0004). Initial fluid resuscitation fluids did not have significant relationship with age, body weight or overall TBSA. Conclusions This study demonstrates that full thickness burn injury has a significant impact on initial fluid resuscitation. Further research is needed to elicit the mechanism to explain the higher fluid requirement for full thickness burn injury. Applicability of Research to Practice Our study brings attention to the effect of depth of burn injury on the actual volume of fluids needed during initial resuscitation of burn injury. This study will alert the clinician to take into account both the surface area as well as depth of the burn injury while embarking on fluid resuscitation after a major burn injury.

577 Impact of the Bismuth Tribromophenate Stick-down Method on Pediatric Burns

Abstract Introduction Burn injuries are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the pediatric population. Patients require frequent dressing changes to minimize infection risk and promote wound healing via re-epithelialization. Bismuth Tribromophenate, an affordable petrolatum-based dressing, has been shown to have rapid re-epithelization of skin grafts and low infection rates in clean wound environments. A stick-down (SD) protocol has been developed to minimize the frequency of dressing changes. This SD protocol involves daily assessment and changing of the dressing until it begins to adhere to the underlying wound bed, where the dressing is then left in place as a protective layer as re-epithelialization occurs. The objective of this study is to characterize baseline features and compare outcomes associated with the SD dressing compared to non-stick-down (NSD) Bismuth Tribromophenate dressing. Methods Patients under 18 years treated at our institution for partial thickness burn injuries were retrospectively identified using our medical records. Demographic data, injury characteristics, dressing type, length of hospitalization, and outpatient outcomes were collected from these records. Statistical analysis between dressing types was achieved using Fisher’s exact test and Mann-Whitney U test, with statistical significance defined as p &amp;lt; 0.05. Results A total of 106 individuals receiving Bismuth Tribromophenate were identified. 36 patients received the Bismuth Tribromophenate SD dressing and 70 patients received NSD dressing. SD patients had a higher hospital admission rate compared to NSD patients (52.8% versus 33.3%, p = 0.088), though not statistically significant. 47.3% of admitted SD patients were admitted for burn severity compared to 25% in NSD patients. SD patients also had higher PICU admission rates compared to NSD patients (36.8% versus 4.8%, p = 0.017). SD patients also required initial debridement sedation more often (63.6% versus 36.7%, p = 0.017). SD and NSD patients had re-epithelialization rates of 66.7% and 65.6% (p = 1), respectively. Median time to re-epithelialization was 13 (10.8-17.2) days in SD patients compared to 12 (10-20) days in NSD patients (p = 1). Conclusions SD-receiving patients were more likely to be admitted to the hospital and admitted for burn severity. In contrast, patients receiving NSD were less likely to be admitted, but more commonly admitted for pain. SD-receiving patients were also more likely to be admitted to the PICU and require sedation for debridement. Despite this difference in baseline characteristics, re-epithelialization rates and time to re-epithelialization between SD and NSD patients were not statistically distinct, with comparable rates and days to healing. Applicability of Research to Practice Identifying cost-effective, efficacious, and convenient dressing protocols for the treatment of pediatric burns.

3D Printed Bioactive PLGA Dermal Scaffold for Burn Wound Treatment

Burn injury represents a major global public healthcare problem and has a significant health-economics impact. In this study, we report on a 3D printed poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) dermal scaffold containing bioactive PLGA for burn wound healing. Bioactive brush copolymers containing pendant side chains of PLGA and PEGylated Arg-Gly-Asp tripeptide (RGD) or hyaluronic acid (HA) were synthesized by ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP). These copolymers exhibited good thermal stability for material processing using melt-extrusion-based methods. The copolymers were blended with commercial PLGA, extruded into filaments and 3D printed using fused filament fabrication (FFF) methods with incorporated porosities. The 3D printed scaffolds demonstrated good biocompatibility in in vitro cell assays and in vivo murine models. Porcine study based on partial thickness burn wound model showed that these PLGA scaffolds facilitated re-epithelization with reduced inflammation as compared to the clinical gold standard for second-degree burn wound treatment, Biobrane. The bioactive PLGA scaffolds presented herein are beneficial in wound healing and have therapeutic potential in burn wounds treatment.

Effects and mechanism of astragalus polysaccharide on wound healing of deep partial-thickness burns in rats

Objective: To investigate the effects and mechanism of astragalus polysaccharide (APS) on wound healing of deep partial-thickness burns in rats. Methods: The experimental study method was used. Fifty 7-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into normal group, simple burn group, APS group, inhibitor group, and inhibitor+APS group according to the random number table, with 10 rats in each group. Except for normal group, rats in the other 4 groups were inflicted with a deep partial-thickness burn wound on the back. Rats in normal group and simple burn group were intraperitoneally injected with normal saline, and rats in the other three groups were injected with APS and/or integrin-linked kinase (ILK) inhibitor, respectively. After 7 days of injection, the wound healing rate of rats with burns in the four groups was calculated, and the serum content of interferon-γ, interleukin-2 (IL-2), and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) in rats in 5 groups was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The normal skin tissue of rats in normal group and wound tissue of rats with burns in the four groups were taken, the water content was determined and the water ratio was calculated, the content of interferon-γ, IL-2, and TNF-α was detected by ELISA, the mRNA expressions of epidermal growth factor (EGF), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), and ILK were detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, and the protein expressions of ILK, protein kinase B (Akt), phosphorylated Akt (p-Akt), glycogen synthetic kinase-3β (GSK-3β), and phosphorylated GSK-3β (p-GSK-3β) were detected by Western blotting. Data were statistically analyzed with one-way analysis of variance and least significant difference test. Results: After 7 days of injection, the wound healing rate of rats in APS group was (67±5)%, which was significantly higher than (52±4)% in simple burn group and (59±5)% in inhibitor+APS group (with all the P values <0.05). The wound healing rate of rats in inhibitor+APS group was significantly higher than (48±4)% in inhibitor group (P<0.05). After 7 days of injection, compared with those in serum or normal skin tissue of rats in normal group, the serum content of interferon-γ, TNF-α, IL-2 and the water ratio of wound tissue of rats in simple burn group were significantly increased (P<0.05); compared with those in APS group, the serum content of interferon-γ, TNF-α, IL-2 and the water ratio of wound tissue of rats in simple burn group and inhibitor+APS group were significantly increased (P<0.05); compared with those in inhibitor group, the serum content of interferon-γ, TNF-α, IL-2 and the water ratio of wound tissue of rats in inhibitor+APS group were significantly decreased (P<0.05). After 7 days of injection, compared with that in normal skin tissue of rats in normal group, the content of interferon-γ, TNF-α, and IL-2 in wound tissue of rats in simple burn group was significantly increased (P<0.05); compared with that in APS group, the content of interferon-γ, TNF-α, and IL-2 in wound tissue of rats in simple burn group and inhibitor+APS group was significantly increased (P<0.05); compared with that in inhibitor group, the content of interferon-γ, TNF-α, and IL-2 in wound tissue of rats in inhibitor+APS group was significantly decreased (P<0.05). After 7 days of injection, compared with those in normal skin tissue of rats in normal group, the mRNA expressions of EGF, bFGF, ILK and protein expressions of ILK, p-Akt, p-GSK-3β in wound tissue of rats in simple burn group were significantly increased (P<0.05); compared with those in APS group, the mRNA expressions of EGF, bFGF, ILK and protein expressions of ILK, p-Akt, p-GSK-3β in wound tissue of rats in simple burn group and inhibitor+APS group were significantly decreased (P<0.05); compared with those in inhibitor group, the mRNA expressions of EGF, bFGF, ILK and protein expressions of ILK, p-Akt, p-GSK-3β in wound tissue of rats in inhibitor+APS group were significantly increased (P<0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in the protein expressions of Akt and GSK-3β in normal skin tissue of rats in normal group and wound tissue of rats with burns in the four groups (P>0.05). Conclusions: APS can alleviate systemic and local inflammation, alleviate tissue edema, and promote the expressions of healing factors in rats with deep partial-thickness burns, thus to promote the wound healing, possibly by activating ILK/Akt/GSK-3β signaling pathway.

Pain Management With Topical Ibuprofen in Partial-Thickness Burn Wounds and Effects on Wound Healing: A Prospective Randomized Clinical Study

BACKGROUND: Pain management is important for patient comfort in the treatment of partial-thickness burn wounds. The topical application of ibuprofen provides analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects. PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy of ibuprofen-containing foam dressing in partial-thickness burns. METHODS: The study included 50 patients with superficial second-degree burn wounds. Ibuprofen-containing foam dressing was used in 25 patients and paraffin gauze dressing in 25 patients as controls. The visual analogue score (VAS) was evaluated 30 min after dressing. On the 90th day following wound healing, the Vancouver scar scale (VSS) was administered to the patients to evaluate healing and scar formation. RESULTS: The rate of wound healing significantly increased in the study (ibuprofen-containing foam dressing) group compared to control group (8.84±2.97 vs 11.32±4.39, P = 0.010), and the frequency of dressing change significantly decreased in the study group vs control group (1.36±0.49 vs 5.68±2.07, P = 0.000). The oral analgesic needs and VAS scores of the patients were also found to be statistically significantly lower in the study group (5.04 ± 2.44) than for the control group (8.64 ± 1.29, P = 0.000). In the evaluation of the VSS, the total score was lower in the study group, but no statistically significant difference was observed. CONCLUSION: The use of ibuprofen-containing foam dressing in patients with superficial second-degree burns eligible for outpatient follow-up provides effective pain management and increases patient comfort. It does not have a negative effect on wound healing. We consider that ibuprofen-containing foam dressing can be safely used in partial-thickness burns.

Treatment of Partial-Thickness Burn Wounds with Combined Advanced Therapies: Cultured Allogenic Keratinocyte and Epidermal Growth Factor

Background: Cultured allogenic keratinocyte (CAK) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) are commonly used biological treatments for partial-thickness burn wounds. A comparative study was conducted on whether the combination therapy of CAK and EGF promotes partial-thickness burn wound healing.Methods: From January 2020 to March 2021, 73 patients who visited the hospital with partial-thickness burns were enrolled in the study. Patients were treated with CAK (Kaloderm) (n=20), EGF (Easyef) (n=17), and CAK+EGF (n=24). Wound healing rate, time to heal, factors affecting wound healing (age, sex, underlying disease, mode of injury, location of injury, initial wound size), and scarring were comparatively analyzed.Results: The wound healing rate for 20 days was 85% (17/20) in the CAK group, 88% (15/17) in the EGF group, and 92% (22/24) in the CAK+EGF group. The average healing time was 11.0±6.0 days, with the CAK group taking 12.6±5.5 days, EGF group taking 11.5±6.0 days, and CAK+EGF group taking 9.0±6.3 days. The patients who received CAK+EGF treatment had higher hazard than the patients without CAK+EGF treatment (hazard ratio, 2.078; 95% confidence interval, 1.021–4.228). Smaller wound size &lt;5 cm2 (hazard ratio, 2.869; 95% confidence interval, 1.426–5.773) was associated with complete wound healing. Though statistically insignificant (P=0.218), less scars occurred in the CAK+EGF group.Conclusion: Combination therapy of CAK and EGF promotes wound healing in partial-thickness burn wounds.