title: Laser Doppler imaging as a tool in the burn wound treatment protocol.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The main treatment of burns is early excision of injured tissues.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  TO COMPARE TWO DIFFERENT METHODS OF EXAMINATION OF BURNED PATIENTS: clinical burn depth examination (CDE) and laser Doppler imaging (LDI).
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective randomized study of 57 burn patients treated in 2009-2011 was carried out. The burned patients were randomized into a CDE group and an LDI group. The CDE and LDI scan were performed 72 h after injury, with the second and third CDE and LDI scan on the 7(th) and 14(th) day after the burn. Age, sex, length of inpatient stay, cost of burn treatment, burn depth, cause and localization of the burns were analyzed between the two groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty-seven patients were treated during 2 years. Thirty-two patients were in the CDE group and 25 patients were in the LDI group. Most of the patients were male (45 male vs. 12 female, p < 0.001). The age was similar between the males and the females (female: 46.4 ±16.9 years vs. male: 46.3 ±12.5 years; p = 0.11). The mean length of stay in hospital was significantly higher in the CDE group (47 ±34.4 day vs. 25 ±10.8 day; p = 0.005). The mean cost of treatment of burned patients was significantly higher in the CDE group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The length of stay and cost of treatment of burn patients depends upon early diagnosis of the deep burns and well-timed surgical treatment of burn wounds.
authors.affiliation: Kaunas Clinics, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania.
authors.forename: Algirda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Venclauskiene
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Kaunas Clinics, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania.
authors.forename: Algidas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Basevicius
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Kaunas Clinics, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania.
authors.forename: Ernest
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Zacharevskij
authors.affiliation: Institute of Anatomy, Medical Academy, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania.
authors.forename: Vytautas
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vaicekauskas
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Kaunas Clinics, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania.
authors.forename: Rytis
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rimdeika
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Kaunas Clinics, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania.
authors.forename: Saulius
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lukosevicius
keywords: burn depth measure; laser Doppler imaging; perfusion velocity
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