In:
The Annals of The Royal College of Surgeons of England, Royal College of Surgeons of England, Vol. 92, No. 2 ( 2010-03), p. 118-123
Abstract:
In this study, we retrospectively analysed healing times of ambulatory burn patients after silver-based dressings were introduced in late December 2005, and compared the results with those obtained before. PATIENTS AND METHODS Data were collected in November–December 2005 and in January–February 2006. We excluded from the study: (i) admitted patients; (ii) patients with mixed superficial partial thickness and deep partial thickness burns; (iii) patients with full-thickness burns; and (iv) operated patients that came for follow-up. We recorded the age, sex, cause (flame vs scald), burn depth, dressings used and healing times. RESULTS We selected 347 patients corresponding to 455 burned areas (64.4% superficial and 35.6% deep; 47.7% treated in 2005 and 52.3% in 2006). During the years 2005 and 2006, there was an increase in the use of silver-based dressings (2005, 9.7%; 2006, 38.7%; chi-squared test, P 〈 0.001) and a decrease in the use of paraffin gauzes (2005, 66.4%; 2006, 40.3%; chi-squared test, P 〈 0.001). The healing time of overall burns and of superficial burns showed no significant differences between 2005 and 2006. However, in deep partial thickness burns, a significant reduction was present (2006, 19; 2005, 29 days; Student's t-test, P 〈 0.01). Among all dressings, paraffin gauzes had the shortest healing times in superficial burns (5 days); with silver-based dressings in deep burns, the healing times were nanocrystalline silver (16 days) and silver carboxymethylcellulose (21 days). CONCLUSIONS Results of our retrospective study would suggest that paraffin gauzes are a valuable option in superficial burns, while silver-based dressings are preferable in deep burns.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
0035-8843
,
1478-7083
DOI:
10.1308/003588410X12518836439001
Language:
English
Publisher:
Royal College of Surgeons of England
Publication Date:
2010
detail.hit.zdb_id:
2100560-6
detail.hit.zdb_id:
80044-2
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