Burns : journal of the International Society for Burn Injuries
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Autologous fat grafting does not improve burn scar appearance: A prospective, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, pilot study.
It has been proposed that fat grafts can improve the appearance of mature burn scars. The pluripotent progenitor cells contained within autologous adipose tissue grafts are believed to induce skin repair and improve scar appearance. We conducted a prospective, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study to evaluate the effects of fat grafts on the appearance of mature burn scars. ⋯ Single treatment with autologous fat grafts did not improve mature pediatric burn scars when compared to normal saline injections.
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Pain Scrambler therapy is a patient-specific electrocutaneous nerve stimulation device. Burn pruritus is a common form of chronic and disabling neuropathic pain that is often difficult to treat effectively. Pruritus is mediated by histamines, which are effector molecules stored in mast cells and released locally during injury or inflammation. Burn pruritus may be accompanied by peripheral neuropathic pain, which may result from injury to sensory nerves that hampers conductance of neuronal messages along the large A and small C afferent fibers to the spinal cord. In this study, we investigated the effect of pain Scrambler therapy on burn scar pruritus. ⋯ Scrambler therapy is a non-invasive, non-medicinal modality that significantly reduced burn-associated pruritus. Scrambler therapy should be considered as a treatment option for burn survivors with severe pruritus.
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To explore the biological function of miR-21 in the formation of keloid. ⋯ miR-21 promoted collagen production in keloid by negatively regulating the expression of the Smad7.
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To describe the experience of distributing 499 burn casualties of an unexpected event and determine whether patient transfer is associated with patient outcomes measured 2 weeks after the incident. ⋯ In case of inadequate burn centers, satisfactory patient outcomes can be achieved by the immediate treatment of patients, despite the treating hospitals being lower-level hospitals. Regardless of the hospital level, immediate treatment of burn patients is crucial to reducing mortality.
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Comparative Study
Comparison between high-frequency ultrasonography and histological assessment reveals weak correlation for measurements of scar tissue thickness.
Current methods for evaluating scar tissue volume following burns have shortcomings. The Vancouver Burn Scar scale is subjective, leading to a high variability in assessment. Although histological assessment via punch biopsy can discriminate between the different layers of skin, such an approach is invasive, inefficient, and detrimental to patient experience and wound healing. This study investigates the accuracy of high-frequency ultrasonography, a non-invasive alternative to histology, for measuring dermal and epidermal thickness in scar tissue. ⋯ Measurements of scar thickness using high-frequency ultrasonography did not recapitulate the in vivo dermal, epidermal and total thickness. Based on these findings, strategies for further optimization of 2-D ultrasonography is discussed before clinical and research use.