Burns : journal of the International Society for Burn Injuries
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Burn is associated with a considerable burden of morbidity worldwide. Early excision of burned tissue and skin grafting of the resultant wound has been established as a mainstay of modern burn therapy. However, in large burns, donor sites for autologous skin may be limited. ⋯ Comparison was also made between fresh and cryopreserved grafts. No statistically significant difference was identified between GalT-KO and allogeneic skin grafts in any of the assessed parameters, and graft take and function was not adversely effected by the freeze-thaw process. These data demonstrate that GalT-KO porcine grafts are functionally comparable to allogeneic skin grafts for temporary closure of full thickness wounds, and support their consideration as an alternative to cadaver allogeneic skin in the emergency management of large burns.
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Opioids are extensively used as analgesics to control burn pain. However, systemic administration of opioids induces multiple adverse effects that are primarily CNS mediated. Alternately, topical application of low dose of opioids directly at the site of injury could attenuate pain while avoiding CNS-mediated side effects. ⋯ The anti-hyperalgesic effects were then measured (5, 15, 30, 60 and 120min post-drug application) using the Hargreaves' thermal test. All three opioids produced statistically significant increases in paw withdrawal latency (PWL), taken as a measure of anti-hyperalgesia, in comparison to saline-treated group (P<0.05), at both 4 and 7days post injury, with fentanyl showing greatest efficacy. Taken together, a low dose of topical application of opioids can reduce thermal hyperalgesia in a rat hindpaw FTTI model, supporting the development of topical formulations of these drugs for burn pain treatment in the clinic.