Safety profile of atorvastatin in the role of burn wound injury conversion

Am J Surg. 2020 Nov;220(5):1323-1326. doi: 10.1016/j.amjsurg.2020.06.047. Epub 2020 Jul 6.

Abstract

Background: Atorvastatin could be beneficial in the treatment of burn patients to prevent burn wound progression from partial to full thickness. Our primary aim is to evaluate the safety of atorvastatin in burn patients.

Methods: Single center retrospective chart review of burn patients receiving atorvastatin during admission May 2016-May 2019 with historic controls was performed. Demographics, burn total body surface area, atorvastatin doses, creatinine phosphokinase, aspartate aminotransferase levels and adverse events were analyzed.

Results: 48 burn patients received atorvastatin during admission. Nine patients experienced elevated CK or AST levels during admission, but did not correlate with timing of atorvastatin administration and were comparable to levels in control patients. No adverse events associated with atorvastatin were identified.

Conclusions: Atorvastatin administered to patients with burn injuries was not associated with any adverse events or attributable lab abnormalities. We believe that atorvastatin is safe to use in patients with burns and can be safely studied to determine the drug's effect on the prevention of burn wound conversion.

Keywords: Atorvastatin; Burn conversion; Burn prevention; HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors; Statins.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Atorvastatin / therapeutic use*
  • Burns / drug therapy*
  • Burns / physiopathology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / therapeutic use*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Trauma Severity Indices
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Wound Healing*

Substances

  • Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors
  • Atorvastatin