A biological dressing versus 'conventional' treatment in patients with massive burns: a clinical trial.
BACKGROUND
For many years, burns were treated by daily saline-soaked dressings until the burns healed primarily. Today, wounds are closed via grafting techniques, or by using synthetic and biological dressings. Due to less experience and interest in the use of biological dressing in developing countries, the aim of this study was to compare the outcome of biological dressings versus 'conventional' treatment in patients with massive burns.


METHODS
One hundred eighteen patients with total body surface area (TBSA) burns of 30% to 75%, by flame or scalds, were investigated from October 2002 to June 2006. The patients were divided into two groups. Those in the first group received conventional treatment (n=53) and those in the second group (n=65) received treatment with a biological dressing (Xenoderm).


RESULTS
Mortality rates in the conventional group and biological group were 19 (35%) and 7 (10.8%), respectively (p=0.001). The mean hospital stay was 31.3 days vs 18.2 days and the number of dressings was 22.1 vs 9.9, respectively (p=0.0005).


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study indicate that a biological dressing (Xenoderm) gave a better outcome and lower mortality. However, a randomized clinical trial that compares the number of operations and decreasing need for split thickness skin grafts is warranted.
Department of Burns, Zanjan University Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran. nejat.hosini@zums.ac.ir
Seyed Nejat
SN
Hosseini
Seyed Nouraddin
SN
Mousavinasab
Haleh
H
Rahmanpour
Mojtaba
M
Fallahnezhad
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001684:Biological Dressings / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002056:Burns / Q000628:therapy*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016038:Skin Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult