title: The time factor in the LDI (Laser Doppler Imaging) diagnosis of burns.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The not quite rare occurrence of inaccurate clinical diagnoses of burns in early post-burn days leads to an inappropriate conservative treatment strategy, or unnecessary surgery. LDI (Laser Doppler Imaging) objectively evaluates skin blood circulation, which correlates with the depth of the burn and the length of healing. The aim of this work was to suggest cutoff values for detecting burns without healing potential within 3 weeks, which should have undergone surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  The burned area's average blood perfusion of 148 burns was measured on 115 patients, using the Laser Doppler Imager PIM III. A total of 268 measurements were performed from the one to the ninth post-burn day (PBD). The perfusion values were compared to the healing time or histology in the case of the surgical treatment. Cutoff values indicating surgery were investigated in various post-burn days; the ROC analysis was used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  This work suggest statistically significant increasing cutoff values for indication to surgery (P = 0.05). From the third to the fifth day 148.5 perfusion units (PU), from the sixth to the seventh day 186.0 PU, from the eighth to the ninth PBD 269.5 PU. The cutoff value is not possible to establish until the second day.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  LDI is a useful method for wound healing prediction and an indication of the necessity of surgery. We have demonstrated that the diagnosis of the healing capacity of LDI needs to take into account the factor of time.
authors: Burn Center, University Hospital Ostrava, 17. Listopadu 1790, 708 52, Ostrava-Poruba, Czech Republic; Department of Medical Biophysics, Faculty of Medicine, Palacky University, Hněvotínská 3, Olomouc, Czech Republic.
authors: Jiří
authors: J
authors: Štětinský
authors: Hana
authors: H
authors: Klosová
authors: Hana
authors: H
authors: Kolářová
authors: Dana
authors: D
authors: Šalounová
authors: Iveta
authors: I
authors: Bryjová
authors: Stanislav
authors: S
authors: Hledík
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002056:Burns / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017078:Laser-Doppler Flowmetry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018579:Patient Selection; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012372:ROC Curve; D013997:Time Factors; D061665:Time-to-Treatment; D014945:Wound Healing; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: healed; perfusion scan; perfusion unit (PU); postburn day (PBD); unhealed