title: Randomized controlled trial of three burns dressings for partial thickness burns in children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study compared the effects of three silver dressing combinations on small to medium size acute partial thickness burns in children, focusing on re-epithelialization time, pain and distress during dressing changes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Children (0-15 years) with clean, ≤ 10% total body surface area (TBSA) partial thickness burns who met the inclusion criteria were included in the study. Children received either (1) Acticoat™; (2) Acticoat™ with Mepitel™; or (3) Mepilex Ag™ dressings. Measures of burn re-epithelialization, pain, and distress were recorded at dressing changes every 3-5 days until full re-epithelialization occurred.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred and three children were recruited with 96 children included for analysis. No infections were detected for the course of the study. When adjusted for burn depth, Acticoat™ significantly increased the expected days to full re-epithelialization by 40% (IRR = 1.40; 95% CI: 1.14-1.73, p < 0.01) and Acticoat™ with Mepitel™ significantly increased the expected days to full re-epithelialization by 33% (IRR = 1.33; 95% CI: 1.08-1.63, p ≤ 0.01) when compared to Mepilex Ag™. Expected FLACC scores in the Mepilex Ag™ group were 32% lower at dressing removal (p = 0.01) and 37% lower at new dressing application (p = 0.04); and scores in the Acticoat™ with Mepitel™ group were 23% lower at dressing removal (p = 0.04) and 40% lower at new dressing application (p < 0.01), in comparison to the Acticoat™ group. Expected Visual Analog Scale-Pain (VAS-P) scores were 25% lower in the Mepilex Ag™ group at dressing removal (p = 0.04) and 34% lower in the Acticoat™ with Mepitel™ group (p = 0.02) at new dressing application in comparison to the Acticoat™ group. There was no significant difference between the Mepilex Ag™ and the Acticoat™ with Mepitel™ groups at all timepoints and with any pain measure.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Mepilex Ag™ is an effective silver dressing, in terms of accelerated wound re-epithelialization time (compared to Acticoat™ and Acticoat™ with Mepitel™) and decreased pain during dressing changes (compared to Acticoat™), for clean, < 10% TBSA partial thickness burns in children.
authors: Centre for Children's Burns and Trauma Research, Queensland Children's Medical Research Institute, University of Queensland, Australia. Electronic address: e.geekee@uq.edu.au.
authors: E L
authors: EL
authors: Gee Kee
authors: Centre for Children's Burns and Trauma Research, Queensland Children's Medical Research Institute, University of Queensland, Australia; Stuart Pegg Paediatric Burns Centre, Royal Children's Hospital, Brisbane, Australia.
authors: R M
authors: RM
authors: Kimble
authors: Centre for Children's Burns and Trauma Research, Queensland Children's Medical Research Institute, University of Queensland, Australia; Tissue Repair and Regeneration Program, Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Australia.
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Cuttle
authors: School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Queensland, Australia.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Khan
authors: Centre for Children's Burns and Trauma Research, Queensland Children's Medical Research Institute, University of Queensland, Australia.
authors: K A
authors: KA
authors: Stockton
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001458:Bandages; D002056:Burns / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009779:Occlusive Dressings; D010146:Pain; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011091:Polyesters / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011095:Polyethylenes / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D062326:Re-Epithelialization; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012828:Silicones / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014945:Wound Healing
chemical_list: C117408:Acticoat; D011091:Polyesters; D011095:Polyethylenes; D012828:Silicones; C114834:mepitel
keywords: Burn; Child; Pain; Partial thickness; Re-epithelialization; Silver dressing