Background: The purpose of the present study was to confirm the clinical expediency of using a particular type of biological skin substitute--porcine skin xenograft--in the treatment of partial-thickness scald burns.
Material and methods: Over a period of three years (from the beginning of the 2005 to the end of the 2007) 109 admitted patients with partial-thickness scald burns were treated with skin xenografts. The mean age of the patients was 7.6 years (S.D.: 15.3), while mean TBSA was 13% (S.D.: 8.2).
Results: The number of patients healed by the 14th day postburn or sooner and their mean healing time, the mean healing time for all 109 patients, mean hospital stay and number of patients undergoing surgery were all evaluated. Of the 109 patients, 78 (71%) healed within 14 days with a mean time of 9.6 days (S.D.: 3.2). One sample t-test which compared mean healing times achieved within 14 days with the value of 14 days established a significant difference (p = 0.0001). For all 109 cases the mean healing time was 15.1 days (S.D.: 11.6), with no significant difference between mean healing times and the value of 14 days (p = 0.3). The mean hospital stay was up to 10 days (S.D.: 6.7). Four patients (3.6%) received split thickness skin grafts with an average extent of 4.5% TBSA. The data obtained were compared with similar studies and other treatment options for this indication and were discussed.
Conclusion: This retrospective study proves the clinical efficiency of using skin xenografts for the treatment of partial-thickness scald burns. Skin xenografts showed good adherence on the wound surfaces, decreased the amount of exudate and reduced pain. In addition, the risk of hypertrophic scar formation was lower when wound healing was achieved within 14 days.