Burns in children; early versus late excision and grafting

ABSTRACT

Burns are among the most devastating of all home injuries with formidable sequelae ranging from considerable physical disability to emotional and mental trauma. Patients of burn require prolonged hospitalization resulting into considerable financial burden on patient as well as the state. Treatment of burns can be made cost effective by early excision and grafting of the burned areas. A randomized controlled study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of early versus delayed excision and skin grafting in pediatric burns. Out of 80 burned children, 30 underwent early excision and grafting whereas 50 were treated with delayed excision and grafting. Mean percent graft take was 96.67 in early and 88.40 in delayed group. Over all post operative complications like minor graft rejection was found in 26% cases of early and 48% of delayed group whereas major graft rejection was found in 14% of delayed group only. Post operative contractures developed in 8% of delayed group. Mean hospital stay was 13.66 and 37.46 days for early and delayed excision and grafting respectively. Early excision and grafting in pediatric burns is a superior and cost effective to delayed excision and grafting in terms of post operative complications, cosmesis and hospital stay