title: Enzymatic debridement of burn wound with collagenase in children with partial-thickness burns.
abstract: Seventy-eight pediatric burn patients treated by enzymatic debridement with collagenase clostridiopeptidase A (CCA), were compared to 41 patients those burn wounds were excised surgically. Patients whose burn wounds were initially assessed as partial-thickness at admission were enrolled in the study. Total removal of eschar was achieved in 49 of 78 (62.8%) patients by CCA only (group D). In 29 patients (37.2%), therapy with CCA was ceased because of the development of burn wound infection or a manifest need for grafting of the wound, therefore, these patients underwent tangential wound excision (group DS). The records of 41 patients, treated by early tangential excision, having similar burn wounds by extent and depth with groups D and DS were used as controls (group S). There was no significant difference between the time to achieve a clean wound bed in groups D, DS and S (mean 7.8, 8, and 7 days, respectively, P>0.05). In group D, none of the patients required blood transfusion, except one. Patients in group DS were found to have fewer excisions (mean 1.1) when compared to those in group S (mean 1.5, P<0.05). The shortest hospital stay was found in group D (12.5 days, P<0.01). In conclusion, the use of CCA, provided a short hospital stay, reduced the overall need for surgery and blood transfusions in patients with partial-thickness burns. Thus, CCA should be considered as an initial treatment of choice for removal of eschar in children, having a partial-thickness burn wound without infection.
authors.affiliation: Ege University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatric Surgery, Pediatric Burns Unit, 35100 Bornova, Izmir, Turkey. cozcan@med.ege.edu.tr
authors.forename: Coşkun
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ozcan
authors.forename: Orkan
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ergün
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Celik
authors.forename: Nergül
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Cördük
authors.forename: Geylani
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ozok
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001684:Biological Dressings; D002056:Burns / Q000601:surgery*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D017364:Collagenases / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003646:Debridement / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D003012:Microbial Collagenase / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009779:Occlusive Dressings; D016038:Skin Transplantation; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous; D014945:Wound Healing
chemical_list: D017364:Collagenases; D003012:Microbial Collagenase