title: Early depth assessment of local burns by videomicroscopy: 24 h after injury is a critical time point.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Videomicroscopy has simple and prompt operability, and useful in the burn depth assessment in its early phase. A burn wound is, however, a dynamic environment in the first few days and the critical time to assess a burn wound by videomicroscopy has not been investigated. The aim of this study is to investigate the critical time point to assess the burn depth by videomicroscopy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty one patients with 44 intermediate depth burns admitted within 7 days after injury were included. Accuracies were assessed by comparison with clinical outcome: healing within 21 days after injury or not with conservative treatment. We prospectively evaluated and compared the accuracy of the videomicroscopy measurements with the clinical assessments. All findings were serialized in order of time after injury and divided into three groups, and we compared the appreciation of burn depth by videomicroscopy findings among groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The videomicroscopy measurements is significantly accurate compared with clinical assessments (p=0.001). The accuracy of videomicroscopy measurements was significantly lower in the post-injury <24 h group compared with post-injury ≥24 h group (p=0.004).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Videomicroscopy is effective tool in assessment of early burn depth and the critical time point to assess the burn depth by videomicroscopy is 24 h after injury.
authors: Burns Unit, Nagasaki Hospital. mkyomi@yahoo.co.jp
authors: Kyomi
authors: K
authors: Mihara
authors: Hajime
authors: H
authors: Shindo
authors: Minako
authors: M
authors: Ohtani
authors: Kotaro
authors: K
authors: Nagasaki
authors: Reiko
authors: R
authors: Nakashima
authors: Norito
authors: N
authors: Katoh
authors: Saburo
authors: S
authors: Kishimoto