title: Dressing the split-thickness skin graft donor site: a randomized clinical trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The primary objective of this study was to compare Aquacel (ConvaTec, Skillman, New Jersey), Allevyn (Smith & Nephew, St Petersburg, Florida), and Mediskin I (Mölnlycke, Health Care AB, Gothenburg, Sweden) in the treatment of split-thickness skin graft donor sites.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was performed as a prospective randomized, 3-arm, clinical study.
  
  
  METHODS
  A clinical study performed at a hand and plastic surgery department with burn unit.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included 67 adults with a total of 73 donor sites, which were on the thigh, not reharvested, and ranged between 30- and 400-cm area.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects were randomly assigned to treatment with Aquacel, Allevyn, or Mediskin I.
  
  
  METHODS
  The donor site was assessed on postoperative days 3, 14, and 21 for healing, infection, pain, impact on everyday life, ease of use, and cost.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The obtained results demonstrate significantly faster re-epithelialization for patients treated with Aquacel or Mediskin I compared with Allevyn. Regarding infections, there were no significant differences between the groups. Patients wearing Aquacel experienced significantly less pain changing the dressing and less impact on everyday life than the patients wearing Allevyn. Aquacel was shown to be significantly easier for the caregiver to use than Allevyn and Mediskin I. There is a significant difference in cost of treatment between the dressings, whereas Mediskin I is the most expensive.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The authors' results support the use of Aquacel in the treatment of split-thickness skin graft donor sites. Aquacel has a low cost per unit, is user friendly, gives short healing time, and minimizes patient discomfort.
authors.affiliation: Matilda Karlsson, RN, is a Nurse, Department of Hand and Plastic Surgery and Burn Intensive Care, University Hospital of Linköping, Sweden. Margareta Lindgren, PhD, RN, is, a Senior Lecturer, Division of Nursing Science, Department of Medical and Health Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden. Ingmarie Jarnhed-Andersson, RN, is a Nurse, Department of Hand and Plastic Surgery and Burn Intensive Care, University Hospital of Linköping, Sweden. Erkki Tarpila, MD, PhD, is a Senior Plastic Surgeon, Department of Hand and Plastic Surgery, University Hospital of Linköping, Sweden.
authors.forename: Matilda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Karlsson
authors.forename: Margareta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lindgren
authors.forename: Ingmarie
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Jarnhed-Andersson
authors.forename: Erkki
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tarpila
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002053:Burn Units; D002056:Burns / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D002266:Carboxymethylcellulose Sodium / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009779:Occlusive Dressings; D011140:Polyurethanes / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D016038:Skin Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000517:prevention & control; D060053:Transplant Donor Site / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D011140:Polyurethanes; C081143:allevyn; D002266:Carboxymethylcellulose Sodium