Annals of burns and fire disasters
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Ann Burns Fire Disasters · Jun 2008
Skin ph variations from the acute phase to re-epithelialization in burn patients treated with new materials (burnshield®, semipermeable adhesive film, dermasilk®, and hyalomatrix®). Non-invasive preliminary experimental clinical trial.
The aim of this trial was to measure the pH value of the skin of burn patients using a non-invasive method, from the acute phase through to complete re-epithelialization. The research was then completed by treating the patients with new materials and innovative methods to verify whether this had an effect on the skin pH and on re-epithelialization time. In this clinical trial, the patients were medicated repeatedly with hydrogel (Burnshield®) kept in place by a transparent, semipermeable adhesive film with a moisture vapour transmission rate equivalent to 1600 until day 5 or 6 post-burn. ⋯ The values then gradually returned to normal (pH, 5.5) from day 13 onwards. The mean re-epithelialization time was similar in the two patients, equivalent to 24.5 days (25 days in the first patient, 24 in the second), with a mean follow-up of 21 months (33 months in the first case, 9 in the second). No early or late complications were observed.
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Ann Burns Fire Disasters · Jun 2008
Different surgical reconstruction modalities of the post-burn mutilated hand based on a prospective review of a cohort of patients.
This study covered 40 patients (22 females and 18 males) suffering from post-burn hand deformities admitted to Assiut University Hospital and Luxor International Hospital (Egypt) from June 2004 to May 2006. Their ages ranged between 4 and 45 yr (mean, 24.5 yr). They presented a variety of post-burn hand deformities, e.g. dorsal hand contracture (14 cases), volar contracture (10 cases), first web space contracture (3 cases), post-burn syndactyly (2 cases), wrist deformity (3 cases), skin and tendon affection (2 cases), and complex deformity (6 cases). ⋯ In secondary burn management the first step is the release of the contracture, which should be complete and include all contracted structures. The second step is the proper selection of methods of coverage for resultant defects, using either skin grafts or flaps depending on the presence of exposed tendons, nerves, or joints. The third step in order to obtain a very good function is the activation of an intensive physiotherapy programme immediately after the operation.