title: [Cultured epidermis for the treatment of severe burns. A 2-year study (18 patients)].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  For fifteen years, Edouard Herriot Burn Center has been using cultured epidermis provided by an hospital Laboratory. This means of production results in great freedom for their application compared with the centers who have to buy the cultured epidermis. In order to evaluate our clinical results, a two-year study has been performed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighteen patients suffering acute burns were concerned. The average burned area was 68% of the total body surface (range 49 to 88). The average age was 31.6 years, ranging from 1 to 58, including two children. Even autologous or allogenic epidermis was used. In our series cultured epidermis was grafted according four different strategies. It was the preparation of the wound bed by skin allografts, the association of widely meshed auto-graft with cultured epidermis, the stimulation of the healing of extensive deep second degree burns with allogenic epidermis, and the coverage of skin auto-graft donor sites.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two patients died. For the survivors, the average hospital stay was 60 days (range 22 to 90), and on average 70 days over 70% TBSA burns. Cultured epidermis allowed the definitive coverage of 17% of the total body surface of the patients. This study supports the importance of a careful preparation of the patient for the engraftment of cultured epidermis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In our opinion, in spite of the difficulties of handling of cultured epidermis, they represent a precious means of coverage for the rapid and definitive healing of extensive burns over 70% TBSA.
authors.affiliation: Centre de traitement des brûlés, pavillon I, hôpital Edouard Herriot, 69437 Lyon, France.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Braye
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dumortier
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bertin-Maghit
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Girbon
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tissot
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Damour
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002056:Burns / Q000601:surgery*; D046508:Culture Techniques; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012867:Skin; D013997:Time Factors