An investigation of the role of diet and burn injury on wound healing.
Forty-four rats underwent standard laparotomies and were randomly allocated to four groups according to injury (control or burned) and diet (maintenance or protein depleted). Wound healing was assessed tensiometrically on the 14th postoperative day. The energy intakes of the four groups were comparable. Both injury by burning and protein depletion caused significant weight loss. The peak force applied to the laparotomy wounds was unaltered by burning, but protein depletion caused a significant reduction in wound strength. It is concluded that any impairment in wound healing in burned patients is more likely to result from inadequate feeding rather than the injury itself or any resultant weight loss.
Belcher
H J
HJ
Surgical Unit, Westminster Hospital, London, UK.
Ellis
H
H
D000818:Animals; D002056:Burns / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004032:Diet; D002149:Energy Intake; D008297:Male; D009752:Nutritional Status; D011488:Protein Deficiency / Q000150:complications; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D014945:Wound Healing