A randomized controlled trial of silver sulfadiazine, biafine, and saline-soaked gauze in the treatment of superficial partial-thickness burn wounds in pigs.
Silver sulfadiazine 1% cream (SSD) and biafine (an oil-in-water emulsion containing alginate) are used for the treatment of superficial partial-thickness burns, but comparative effectiveness studies are lacking.


OBJECTIVE
To compare the uses of SSD, Biafine (Labortoires Medix, Houdan, France), and saline-soaked gauze in the treatment of superficial partial-thickness burns in pigs.


METHODS
This was a randomized controlled trial in four anesthetized young pigs. Four equal sets of partial-thickness contact burns were inflicted on the pigs. Each burn was randomly assigned to treatment with biafine, SSD, or saline-soaked gauze with dressing changes every other day. Assessment of wound re-epithelialization was performed every other day, for a total of two weeks. The treatment groups were compared by univariable and multivariable analyses of variance (ANOVAs), controlling for the pig and the location of the burns on each pig.


RESULTS
Thirty-two burns were inflicted on the pigs. Time to re-epithelialization of the burns was 13.5 days (SD +/- 0.9 days) in pigs treated with biafine, 13.3 days (+/-1.3 days) in pigs treated with SSD, and 13.5 days (+/-1.0 days) in pigs treated with saline-soaked gauze (p = not significant [NS]). The decreases in burn area from day 2 to day 12 were 21.4 cm(2) (+/-6.0 cm(2)) in pigs treated with biafine, 20.0 cm(2) (+/-6.3 cm(2)) in pigs treated with SSD, and 19.8 cm(2) (+/-5.9 cm(2)) in pigs treated with saline-soaked gauze (p = NS). A multivariable ANOVA showed a similar decrease in burn area between the treatment arms (p = NS) and a significant difference between the pigs (p = 0.015).


CONCLUSIONS
Partial-thickness porcine burns treated with SSD, biafine, and soaked saline gauze re-epithelialize at similar rates.
Glesinger
Ronen
R
Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and Burn Unit, Soroka University Medical Center, Beer-Sheva 84101, Israel. ronenga@clalit.org.il
Cohen
Arnon D
AD
Bogdanov-Berezovsky
Alex
A
Krieger
Yuval
Y
Rosenberg
Lior
L
D000287:Administration, Topical; D000818:Animals; D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002056:Burns / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004655:Emulsions; D004848:Epithelium / Q000187:drug effects; D008055:Lipids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012837:Silver Sulfadiazine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013552:Swine; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects
D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local; C423724:Biafine; D004655:Emulsions; D008055:Lipids; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D012837:Silver Sulfadiazine