Aloe versus silver sulfadiazine creams for second-degree burns: a randomized controlled study.
OBJECTIVE
Burn injury is associated with a high incidence of death and disability; yet its management remains problematic and costly. We conducted this clinical study to evaluate the efficacy of aloe vera cream for partial thickness burn wounds and compare its results with those of silver sulfadiazine (SSD).


METHODS
Thirty patients with similar types of second-degree burns at two sites on different parts of the body were included in this study. Each patient had one burn treated with topical SSD and one treated with aloe cream, randomly.


RESULTS
The rate of re-epithelialization and healing of the partial thickness burns was significantly faster in the site treated with aloe than in the site treated with SSD (15.9 +/- 2 vs 18.73 +/- 2.65 days, respectively; P < 0.0001). The sites treated with aloe were completely healed in less than 16 days vs 19 days for the sites treated with SSD.


CONCLUSIONS
These results clearly demonstrated the greater efficacy of aloe cream over SSD cream for treating second-degree burns.
Khorasani
Ghasemali
G
Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
Hosseinimehr
Seyed Jalal
SJ
Azadbakht
Mohammad
M
Zamani
Arman
A
Mahdavi
Mohammad Reza
MR
D000287:Administration, Topical; D000328:Adult; D000504:Aloe; D002056:Burns / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004643:Emollients; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008517:Phytotherapy; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011208:Powders; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects*; D055815:Young Adult
D004643:Emollients; D028321:Plant Preparations; D011208:Powders