title: Treatment of electrical burns by single debridement followed by free-flap coverage: How important is timing?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  High-voltage electrical burns involving the extremities may cause marked loss of skin and subcutaneous tissue exposing underlying bone and tendon. Treatment of electrical burns has historically involved serial debridement with late wound closure. Success has been reported with the use of microvascular free-flap transfer within three days of injury.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Seven patients with severe high-voltage electrical burns are presented. The application and timing of microvascular free-flap coverage is discussed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Six of the seven patients achieved successful healing with the free flaps.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Delay of microvascular free-flap coverage beyond the previously published three-day protocol may not dramatically affect treatment success.
authors.affiliation: Division of Plastic Surgery, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia;
authors.forename: Christopher J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Thomson
authors.forename: Duncan Ag
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Miles
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Beveridge
authors.forename: Peter S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Chang
keywords: Electrical burn; Free-flap; Single debridement; Surgical treatment