[ comparison of early excision and grafting V.S conventional therapy in patients with less than 20% burns]

For many years superficial partial thickness burns were treated conservatively. In full thickness burns, skin grafts were applied usually 3 to 8 weeks after injury. The goal of this study is to accomplish a comparison of early excision and grafting versus conventional therapy in small full thickness burns. This Clinical trial study enrold in 2004-2006 at Emam Reza Hospital of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences on 65 Female burned patients with total body surface less than 20%, This study was approved by the local committee of Medical Ethics. 28 patients were treated by early excision of second and third degree burned wounds to the level of fascia within first week of admission and wound immediately covered with autografts of partial thickness meshed 2:1. In 37 Patients of the conservative treatment group the burned wound was dressed daily and full thickness burns grafted after 3-4 weeks of injury. Individual characteristics was collected in questionnaire and analyzed by descrptive statistics. The mean age of patients was 33.4 Length of hospital stay in early excision and graft was 10 +/- 4 days and in conventional therapy 37 +/- 7 days, with significant difference. Mean number of produres in early excison and graft was one stage and in the other group was 1.24. Mortality in the two groups was similar. Small full-thickness burns, if treated by an experienced surgeon. can be safely early excised and grafted with a decrease in hospital stay, costs, and number of painful debridments and will have fewer infectious wound complications