Objective@#To observe the clinical effects of recombinant
human growth hormone (rhGH) on
children with severe
burn.@*
Methods@#Clinical data of 94
children with severe
burn, hospitalized in our
burn unit from April 2012 to December 2016, conforming to the study criteria, were retrospectively analyzed. According to the use of rhGH,
children were divided into rhGH group (n=50) and
control group (n=44).
Children in
control group received conventional
treatment, while
children in rhGH group received both conventional and rhGH
treatment. The rhGH
treatment was started 3 to 5 days post
injury in
dosage of 0.2-0.4 U·kg-1·d-1, by way of
subcutaneous injection, and the
course of
treatment was (11±5) d. The
plasma albumin and
prealbumin levels,
heart rate,
alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and
serum creatinine level in 2 weeks post
injury, times of
skin grafting operation,
hospitalization time, total
hospitalization treatment cost, and
sepsis and
death of
children were compared between the 2 groups. Data were processed with independent sample t
test, Mann-Whitney U test, and Fisher′s exact test.@*Results@#(1) In 2 weeks post
injury, the
plasma albumin level [(36±4) g/L] and
prealbumin level [(94±34) g/L] of
children in rhGH group were significantly higher than those in
control group [(33±4) and (73±20) g/L, t=3.666, 3.401, P<0.05]. (2) In 2 weeks post
injury, the
heart rate of
children in rhGH group was (123±11) times per minute, which was slower than (130±14) times per minute of
children in
control group (t=2.839, P<0.05). There was no significant difference in ALT level of
children between the 2 groups (Z=0.868, P>0.05). The
blood creatinine levels of
children in the 2 groups were within
normal range. (3) The times of
skin grafting operation of
children in rhGH group was 0.3±0.5, which was significantly less than 0.5±0.6 in
control group (Z=2.234, P<0.05). The
hospitalization time of
children in rhGH group was (22±8) days, which was shorter than (28±10) days in
control group (t=2.837, P<0.05). The total
hospitalization treatment cost of
children in rhGH group was (41±15) thousand yuan, which was significantly less than (53±25) thousand yuan in
control group (t=2.878, P<0.05). (4) There were 2 cases of
sepsis in
control group and 1 case of
sepsis in rhGH group, with no significant difference between the 2 groups (P>0.05). No
children died in the 2 groups.@*Conclusions@#rhGH
treatment of
children with severe
burn can correct post-
injury hypoproteinemia, improve cardiac function, reduce the times of
skin grafting operation and
hospitalization treatment cost, shorten
hospitalization time, with no significant effect on
kidney and
liver function,
sepsis, and
death.