title: Effectiveness of basic fibroblast growth factor for pediatric hand burns.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Pediatric hand deep dermal and deep burns may lead to serious hand deformity with functional impairment and result in an esthetically unfavorable outcome. Since there is no guideline regarding the use of growth factors for pediatric hand burns, we sought to investigate the effectiveness of an angiogenic and regenerative growth factor, basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF).
  
  
  METHODS
  Consecutive series of second degree or third degree palmer burns at less than 3 years of age seen from January 2010 to June 2014 were included for evaluation at 6 months post-wound healing. The bFGF treatment started from just after injury and continued up to 21 days. Each patient had their scars scored using the Vancouver Scar Scale (VSS) at 6 months after wound healing.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 34 children with 49 acute palmar burns. The mean healing period was 13.5 ± 4.3 days (7-44 days) and 43 wounds healed within 21 days. There was no need of additional surgery in the 43 wounds, healed within 21 days. In comparison to the wounds for which healing took more than 21 days, the wounds that healed within 21 days demonstrated significantly better pigmentation, pliability, and height according to the VSS (p < 0.05), as well as no scar contracture or hypertrophic scars.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  bFGF treatment was effective in cases that healed within 21 days, avoiding scar contractures and hypertrophic scars. Our methods using bFGF to complete wound healing are less invasive and produce better results in pediatric palmer burns.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, National Nagasaki Medical Center, Japan; Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Japan. Electronic address: tokimayu122710130311@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hayashida
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, National Nagasaki Medical Center, Japan.
authors.forename: Masaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fujioka
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, National Nagasaki Medical Center, Japan.
authors.forename: Shin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Morooka
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, National Nagasaki Medical Center, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroto
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Saijo
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Japan.
authors.forename: Sadanori
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Akita
mesh_terms: D002056:Burns / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002921:Cicatrix; D017439:Cicatrix, Hypertrophic; D005260:Female; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016038:Skin Transplantation; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D010446:Peptide Fragments; C114444:trafermin; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors
keywords: Growth factor; Pediatric hand burn; Scar contracture; bFGF