ABSTRACT
Objectives: To compare the outcomes of early excision and grafting between pediatric and adult patients with deep burns of less than 40% total body surface area burns [TBSA]
Methods: This is a prospective comparative study. Overall, 106 patients admitted to Ghotbodin Burn Center in Shiraz, Iran from September 2012 to September 2013, were included in the study. All patients had less than 40% TBSA burn and had excision and grafting under 14 days from their injury. Patients were divided into two age groups of younger than 14 [n=49] and older than 14 [14-65] years old [n=57]. During a 6-month follow-up period, the two groups were compared regarding mean percentage of graft take, total scar score, duration of hospital stay and itching score
Results: During follow-up, the two groups did not show a significant difference in graft take, total scar score and itching score [p=0.461, p=0.363 and p=0.637, respectively]. Clinically, the pediatric group showed less hospital stay [12.25+/-9.1 vs. 16+/-12.9], however this was not statistically significant [p=0.091]
Conclusion: Adults and elderly patients [14-65 years old] compared to pediatric patients [less than 14 years old] with less than 40% TBSA burns, can expect similar results regarding scar score, graft take, itch score and hospital stay, after excision and grafting performed less than two weeks from their initial injury
ABSTRACT
Objective: To compare outcome of patients with burns covering less than 15% of total body surface area[TBSA] undergoing early excision and grafting or delayed skin grafting
Method: This was a non-randomized clinical trial including 54 patients with less than 15% TBSA burn referring to Ghotboddin Hospital of Shiraz. They were assigned to two study groups, each group including 27 patients: the early excision and grafting group [EEG group] and the delayed grafting group [DG group]. Patients were followed postoperatively for 6 months. Hospital stay, graft success rate, itching score and scar formation during 6 months of follow-up were recorded and compared between two study groups
Results: During the study 1 patient was lost to follow-up in early excision and grafting group. Baseline characteristics were comparable between two study groups. The graft success rate was significantly higher in those patients who underwent early excision and grafting when compared to delayed grafting group [96.88% vs. 92.88%; p=0.033]. However the length of hospital stay, itching and scar scores were comparable between two study groups after 6 months of follow-up
Conclusion: In patients with burns covering less than 15% TBSA, early excision and grafting is associated with higher graft success rates compared to the delayed excision and grafting. How ever length of hospital stay, itching and scar formation is comparable between the two techniques