title: Custom-fit polymeric membrane dressing masks in the treatment of second degree facial burns.
abstract: Second degree facial burns usually impart high wound site pain levels and patient discomfort due to the abundance of facial sensory innervation, as well as the development of edema and inflammation that accompany wound healing. Frequent changing of adherent dressings causes additional procedural pain and may prolong healing due to recurring damage to the wound bed. We applied face masks, made on-site from a drug free polymeric membrane dressing, to 8 patients with superficial and deep 2nd degree facial burns. Time to full re-epithlialization was recorded during treatment. Pain, overall comfort, and result satisfaction were evaluated using a questionnaire (10-point Likert scales. From 1=minimum to 10=maximum) on follow-up (mean follow up 14.4 months, range 9-18). These results were compared to a historical cohort of patients with facial burns that were treated with an antibiotic ointment. Results showed mean re-epithelialization time of 6.5 days (as compared to 8.5 days in the cohort group), low pain ratings (mean: 2.6; range: 4.7 in the control group), mixed comfort levels (mean: 4.7/10; 4 in the control group) and high result satisfaction (mean: 7.8; 6.2 in the control group). Nursing staff described pain-free dressing changes and positively noted non-adherence and high absorbance capacity of the polymer, necessitating less dressing changes. Inflammation was contained to the actual site of injury. No complications in terms of infection or allergic reaction were observed. Overall, the polymeric membrane facial dressing seems to be a promising means of reducing pain and ensuring uninterrupted wound healing in 2nd degree facial burns.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and the Burn Unit, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel. orenweissman@gmail.com
authors.forename: Oren
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Weissman
authors.forename: Gabriel
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hundeshagen
authors.forename: Moti
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Harats
authors.forename: Nimrod
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Farber
authors.forename: Eran
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Millet
authors.forename: Eyal
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Winkler
authors.forename: Isaac
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Zilinsky
authors.forename: Josef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Haik
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001458:Bandages; D002056:Burns / Q000628:therapy*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005151:Facial Injuries / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008397:Masks; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011140:Polyurethanes / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D062326:Re-Epithelialization / Q000502:physiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D011140:Polyurethanes
keywords: Facial burns; Polymeric membrane dressing; Second degree burns