A preliminary report: The new protocol of managing acute partial-thickness hand burns

Abstract

Background: Optimal hand function recovery is the key to the successful management of hand burns. It starts with a timely burns coverage in the acute setting. A new hand burns protocol has been introduced to cover hand burn wounds within 24 hours after admission. BiobraneTM and split skin graft (SSG) are the coverage methods for partial-thickness burns. A three-year prospective study is being carried out to evaluate the short- and long-term clinical and functional outcomes of the two treatment modalities. This paper reports the preliminary short-term results of the first 34 hand burns of the study. Methodology: This report includes consecutive hand burns patients admitted between September 2014 and May 2015. The recruited hand burns patients underwent clinical and functional assessments seven days after the coverage with either SSG or BiobraneTM. Statistical analysis was performed to evaluate the outcomes. Results and discussion: Eleven burnt hands were treated with SSG and 23 with BiobraneTM. The clinical and functional outcomes, including range of motion, power and sensitivity, were similar in both treatment groups. Further study to recruit more patients is necessary to ascertain the significance of the above findings. More importantly, long-term functional outcomes have to be assessed to conclude the treatment efficacy of early hand burns coverage with BiobraneTM or SSG.