Xe-Derma(®) is a new biological acellular temporary wound cover derived from pig dermis in the form of a mesh of collagen and elastic fibers. It is recommended for use in similar indications as classical pig xenografts. A data collection of 2 burns centres in the treatment of burns with Xe-Derma(®) was obtained from the medical records of 101 patients admitted from January 1, 2010 to December 3...

Wound infection is a common risk for patients with chronic nonhealing wounds, causing high morbidity and mortality. Currently, systemic antibiotic treatment is the therapy of choice, despite often leading to several side effects and the risk of an insufficient tissue penetration due to impaired blood supply. If systemically delivered, moxifloxacin penetrates well into inflammatory blister fluid...

Emerging bacterial resistance renders many antibiotics ineffective, making alternative strategies of wound disinfection important. Here the authors report on a new, physical burn wound disinfection method: pulsed electric fields (PEFs). High voltage, short PEFs create nonthermal, permanent damage to cell membranes, possibly by irreversible electroporation. In medicine, PEF technology has recent...

UNLABELLED C-reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin(PCT) levels may distinguish between a systemic inflammatory response and an infection in burn children. OBJECTIVES To establish the operative capability of CRP and PCT to diagnose infections and mortality. METHODS Burn patients admitted to the hospital with clinical suspicion of an infection were included. CRP and PCT were measured and t...

OBJECTIVE To analyze the occurrence of fungal wound infection (FWI) after thermal injury and its relationship to mortality. BACKGROUND FWI is an uncommon but potentially lethal complication of severe thermal injury. METHODS The records of patients with thermal burns admitted to a single burn center (1991-2002) were reviewed. Analyses accounted for total burn size (TBS, percentage body surfa...

Burn injuries are a painful form of trauma.1 Patients of burn injuries experience severe pain on a daily basis, both immediately after the injury and during therapeutic procedures, such as dressing changes,debridement and physiotherapy.2 In addition, repetition of these painful procedures often creates anticipatory anxiety forpatients with burns.3 Anxiety induced by a bad acute pain experience ...

Apophysomyces variabilis is an emerging fungal pathogen that can cause significant infections in immunocompetent patients. We report a case of A. variabilis invasive wound infection in a 21-year-old male after a self-inflicted burn injury.

Accurate and timely assessment of burn wound severity is a critical component of wound management and has implications related to course of treatment. While most superficial burns and full thickness burns are easily diagnosed through visual inspection, burns that fall between these extremes are challenging to classify based on clinical appearance. Because of this, appropriate burn management ma...

BACKGROUND Burn injury results in emotional stress affecting dietary intake and antioxidant micronutrient intake, which is known to have effects on recovery outcomes. The study aimed to assess dietary intake of antioxidant micronutrients and recovery outcomes of burn patients. METHODS Questionnaires were administered to 40 burn patients at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (Ghana) from January 1...

Introduction The burn wound is central to all aspects of burn care. The size, depth, and condition of the burn wound directly impacts fluid resuscitation, hypermetabolic response, immune system dysfunction, and predicted survival. Optimal care of the burn wound requires specialized facilities and experienced burn nurses and surgeons, all of which are in limited supply under normal circumstances...