title: A randomised prospective study of split skin graft donor site dressings: AWBAT-D™ vs. Duoderm®.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess patient comfort and wound-healing efficacy of a new, purpose-designed biosynthetic material (AWBAT-D™) in the healing of split-skin graft donor sites in comparison with our standard dressing, Duoderm(®).
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a prospective randomised controlled trial of donor site dressings, comparing AWBAT-D™ with our standard dressing, Duoderm(®). Patients were randomly allocated to have their donor site dressed with one of these materials. Outcome measures included pain scores at rest and during dressing changes, time to re-epithelialisation, time to discharge, scarring and infection. Results were assessed for significance using the Mann-Whitney U-test (non-parametric data) and the Chi-Square test (parametric data).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fourteen patients were recruited with 8 donor sites in each group. The mean pain scores at rest and during dressing changes were not found to be significantly different between the two groups (P=0.99 and P=0.90 respectively). The median time to re-epithelialisation was shorter in the Duoderm(®) group at 11 days compared to 17 days in the AWBAT-D™ group (P=0.007). The median time to discharge was not significantly different (P=0.38). No infection or scarring has been observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on these early results, AWBAT-D™ appears to have slower donor site healing and does not provide significant improvements in postoperative pain or discharge time compared to Duoderm(®). There is no evidence at this stage that our standard donor site dressing should be changed.
authors.affiliation: Adult Burn Centre, Royal Adelaide Hospital, North Terrace, Adelaide 5000, SA, Australia.
authors.forename: N S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Solanki
authors.forename: I P
authors.initials: IP
authors.lastname: Mackie
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Greenwood
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001458:Bandages; D002921:Cicatrix / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016038:Skin Transplantation; D060053:Transplant Donor Site / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology