title: Burn wound healing time assessed by laser Doppler imaging (LDI). Part 1: Derivation of a dedicated colour code for image interpretation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Laser Doppler imaging produces a colour-coded image of dermal blood flow, which can be used to quantify the inflammatory response in a burn. The original colour palette had arbitrary boundaries, which inexperienced clinicians found difficult to interpret. The aim of this study was to define clinically useful boundaries that would assist in the prediction of burn healing potential.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a prospective, multi-centre study of burns in adults and children. LDI scans were performed between 48 h and 5 days after injury. The burns were assessed clinically and photographed on day of scan, day 14 and day 21 post-injury. Areas healed at day 14, healed between day 14 and 21 and unhealed at day 21 were identified on the LDI scan. The flow values for the pixels in these regions were analysed to calculate boundaries between the three healing categories.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We recruited 137 patients (ages 1-88 years, 65% male); 392 LDI scans contained 433 different burn sites; 109 regions of interest were studied. Analysis allowed us to define ranges for the three healing categories: HP14 colour coded red, >600 PU; HP14-21, yellow, 260-440 PU; HP>21, blue, <200 PU; separated by two overlap regions pink, 440-600 PU and green, 200-260 PU. Blue was subdivided to show the very high association between LDI<140 PU and non-healing at day 21.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We have devised a new colour palette for LDI burn imaging based on healing times of a series of burns. Validation of this palette is described separately, in Part 2.
authors: Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4LP, UK.
authors: S A
authors: SA
authors: Pape
authors: R D
authors: RD
authors: Baker
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Wilson
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Hoeksema
authors: J C
authors: JC
authors: Jeng
authors: R J
authors: RJ
authors: Spence
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Monstrey
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002056:Burns / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D017078:Laser-Doppler Flowmetry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000502:physiology; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012867:Skin / Q000098:blood supply; D012880:Skin Pigmentation; D013997:Time Factors; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult