Burns : journal of the International Society for Burn Injuries
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Reliable, clinically acceptable pressure measuring devices are important to accurately record interface pressure. The Pliance X is a device that may overcome previous device limitations (i.e. pressure garment distortion, temperature dependent sensors). This research aimed to identify the test-retest reliability and clinical utility of the Pliance X in children receiving pressure garment therapy post-burn. ⋯ Further reliability testing is required, including inter-rater reliability testing. The device's clinical utility could be improved with alternate sensor styles and an instant mean pressure reading to enable immediately clinically useful information on the interface pressure.
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Half a million patients in the USA alone require treatment for burns annually. Following an extensive burn, it may not be possible to provide sufficient autografts in a single setting. Pig skin xenografts may provide temporary coverage. ⋯ We summarize the current status of research into skin xenotransplantation for burns, with special emphasis on developments in genetic engineering of pigs to protect the graft from immunological injury. A genetically-engineered pig skin graft now survives as long as an allograft and, importantly, rejection of a skin xenograft is not detrimental to a subsequent allograft. Nevertheless, currently, systemic immunosuppressive therapy would still be required to inhibit a cellular response, and so we discuss what further genetic manipulations could be carried out to inhibit the cellular response.