Efficacy of tranexamic acid versus placebo in reducing blood loss during burn excisional surgery: a multi-center, double-blind, parallel, randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial (TRANEX).

BACKGROUND: Despite an increase in knowledge, blood loss during burn excisional surgery remains a major challenge and is an independent predictor of mortality. During burn surgery, limited measures are available to control the bleeding. Increased fibrinolysis could be one of the contributing factors of blood loss during burn excisional surgery. Tranexamic acid inhibits the fibrinolytic response, and a small body of evidence shows positive effects of tranexamic acid on the volume of blood loss. METHODS: The main objectives of this study are twofold, (1) to investigate whether tranexamic acid reduces blood loss and (2) to investigate the changes in coagulation after burn trauma and during burn excisional surgery. This study is a multicenter double-blind randomized clinical trial in patients scheduled for burn excisional surgery within the Dutch burn centers. All adult patients scheduled for burn surgery with an expected blood loss of ≥ 250 are eligible for inclusion in this study. The study is powered on a blood loss reduction of 25% in the intervention group. In total, 95 subjects will be included. The intervention group will receive 1500 mg tranexamic acid versus placebo in the other group. Primary endpoint is reduction of blood loss. Secondary endpoints include occurrence of fibrinolysis during surgery, graft take of the split skin graft, and differences in coagulation and blood clot formation. DISCUSSION: This protocol of a randomized controlled trial aims to investigate the efficacy of tranexamic acid in reducing blood loss during burn excisional surgery. Furthermore, this study aims to clarify the coagulation status after burn trauma and during the surgical process. TRIAL REGISTRATION: EudraCT: 2020-005405-10; ClinicalTrial.gov: NCT05507983 (retrospectively registered in August 2022, inclusion started in December 2021).

Skin graft surgery and its impact on platelet counts in Iranian burn patients: a non-randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Platelets are critical in maintaining homeostasis and immune response in burn patients. The concentration of platelets decreases in burn patients, and any intervention that increases serum platelet concentration can prevent serious consequences and patient death. The present study aimed to assess the impact of skin graft surgery on burn patients' platelet counts. METHODS: In this non-randomized clinical trial, 200 burn patients were investigated. The patients were recruited from the surgical ward of Imam Khomeini Teaching Hospital during the first six months of 2021. After completing the checklist, patients underwent skin graft surgery. Blood was taken from the patients during surgery in the operating room and on the third and fifth day after the surgery to check platelets. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS software (ver. 22.0). RESULTS: Most patients (63.5%) were male, and 73 (36.5%) were female. One hundred eighty-one patients (90.5%) had deep burns, and 19 (9.5%) had superficial burns. The mean burns percentage in the patients was 19.3 ± 15.4%, the lowest was 2%, and the highest was 90%. The most common burns were caused by flame (42%) and boiling water (30.5%). The patients' outcomes revealed that 6% gained complete recovery, 86.5% partial recovery, 2.5% showed transplant rejection, and 5% died. Mean platelet levels in deceased patients had an upward trend. The mean platelet counts of patients were elevated during surgery (289,855 ± 165,378), decreased three days after surgery (282,778 ± 317,310), and elevated again five days after surgery (330,375 ± 208,571). However, no significant difference was found between the mean platelet counts during surgery, the third and fifth days after surgery in patients undergoing skin grafts (P = 0.057). CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that skin graft positively increases the patient's platelets. Further studies are needed to confirm the findings and elucidate the mechanism. Iranian Registry of Clinical Trial approval code (IRCT# IRCT20131112015390N8 & 06/01/2024).

[Acute and post-acute soft tissue reconstruction]. / Weichteilplastik in der Akut- und Postakutsituation.

BACKGROUND: The precise analysis of the injured structures requiring reconstruction in complex wound defects is a prerequisite for successful restoration. OBJECTIVE: The fundamental reconstructive strategies for soft tissue defects of the extremities including injuries to vessels, nerves and burn wounds in the context of the acute and post-acute trauma phases are presented. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The different phases of soft tissue reconstruction are described. Recommendations for action with respect to the reconstruction of the functional structures are described. Two clinical case examples illustrate the approach. RESULTS: The acute reconstruction phase is defined as the period 0-72 h after the traumatic event and includes surgical debridement, primary reconstruction of nerves and vessels using interpositional grafts if necessary and temporary soft tissue reconstruction. Combined thermomechanical trauma requires early debridement combined with internal fixation of open fractures. In the post-acute reconstruction phase, which is generally defined as a period of up to 6 weeks after the traumatic event, definitive soft tissue reconstruction is performed. In the case of long reinnervation distances, nerve transfer or motor replacement plastic surgery is performed in the post-acute phase. CONCLUSION: The reconstruction of soft tissue after trauma necessitates a stage-dependent approach. In the acute phase procedures aim at the immediate preservation of the limb. In the post-acute phase, definitive soft tissue reconstruction is performed to enable maximum functional preservation. Combined thermomechanical injuries require early surgical treatment in order to prevent infections.

FUE as the first surgical option for hair reconstruction on scalp and facial skin grafts - case report.

Post-combustion alopecia presents a complex medical challenge with implications spanning dermatological and psychiatric disorders. The use of hair transplantation has proven to be a significant improvement for this condition. However, the current management involves various techniques, each with advantages and disadvantages. Progressive skin expansions, surgical scar reduction, and skin grafts containing hair follicles yield unsatisfactory aesthetic outcomes and have limited applicability as a first-line treatment for fire victims. So far, follicular unit extraction (FUE) has proven to be one of the most versatile procedures in such cases, having the potential to restore a natural anatomical profile closely resembling the pre-traumatic appearance that led to the traumatic alopecia. Additionally, it contributes to the improvement of associated psychiatric comorbidities, facilitating proper social reintegration and enhancing overall quality of life. This report focuses on a case of post-combustion alopecia and severe facial distortion due to third-degree burns resulting in severe psychiatric comorbidities, which benefited from a proper social reintegration and improvement of the quality of life after three consecutive sessions of FUE for scalp and eyebrow hair.

Subdermal dissection technique for pure skin SCIA and ALT perforator flaps in burns and trauma defects: Clinical experience.

BACKGROUND: The pure skin perforator (PSP) flap is gaining popularity for its remarkable thinness. The subdermal dissection technique was recently introduced, allowing for a quicker elevation of a PSP flap. In this report, we present our two-year experience utilizing subdermal dissection for harvesting PSP flaps. METHODS: All patients who had undergone PSP flap reconstruction at our hospital from February 2021 to February 2023 were included. Demographic data, intraoperative variables, flap characteristics, and postoperative outcomes were collected. Surgical planning involved locating the perforator using ultrasound and harvesting the flap using the subdermal dissection technique. RESULTS: A total of 26 PSP flap reconstructions were conducted on 24 patients aged between 15 and 86 years. The flaps were based on perforators issuing from the superficial circumflex iliac artery in 24 cases, and from the descending branch of the lateral circumflex femoral artery in 2 cases. Flap sizes ranged from 3 × 1.5 cm to 19 × 6 cm, with a mean thickness of 3.48 mm. The average time for flap harvest was 131.92 min. Postoperatively, we observed four cases of partial necrosis, 1 total flap loss, and 2 instances of vascular thrombosis at the anastomosis site. The flaps exhibited good pliability without contracture, and no debulking procedures were required during the follow-up period (minimum 6 months, range 6-24; mean 9.4615). CONCLUSION: The subdermal dissection technique is a safe and efficient approach for elevating PSP flaps. Our initial experience with this technique has been encouraging, and it currently serves as our preferred reconstructive option for defects requiring thin reconstruction.

Emerging Technologies.

In this article, an array of new developments in burn care, from diagnosis to post-burn reconstruction and re-integration, will be discussed. Multidisciplinary advances have allowed the implementation of technologies that provide more accurate assessments of burn depth, improved outcomes when treating full-thickness burns, and enhanced scar tissue management. Incorporating these new treatment modalities into current practice is essential to improving the standard of burn care and developing the next generation of burn wound management methodologies.

Pediatric Burns: From Acute Care Through Reconstruction in 2024.

Children are disproportionately affected by burn injuries. Differences between adult and pediatric burns range from epidemiologic characteristics to pathophysiological considerations, which vary between different age subgroups. All these factors must be considered in each phase of burn care. This article reviews the most important aspects of the management of a pediatric burned patient starting from the acute through reconstructive phases.

Head and Neck Reconstruction in Burn Patients.

Reconstruction of burns in the head and neck region is challenging. This is because it must achieve both functional reconstruction and esthetic reconstruction. Local flaps are best for minor defects, particularly in the case of deep burns, because they bear the correct texture and color. However, for large deep burn wounds, simple grafting or small local flaps will not produce satisfactory results. It is also crucial to assess the extent and depth of reconstruction that is needed throughout the face-neck-anterior chest region, and to make the choice between techniques such as Z-plasty, skin grafting, super-thin flaps, and free flaps.

The Art of Local Tissue Rearrangements in Burn Reconstruction: Z-Plasty and More.

In recent decades, advances in surgical anatomy, burn pathophysiology, surgical techniques, and laser therapy have led to a paradigm shift in how we approach burn scars and contractures. Scar excision and replacement with uninjured tissue, which predominated burn scar treatment for much of the 20th century, is no longer appropriate in many patients. A scar's intrinsic ability to remodel can be induced by reducing tension on the scar using various techniques for local tissue rearrangement. Often in combination with laser therapy, local flaps can optimally camouflage a burn scar with adjacent normal tissue and restore a patient more closely to their preinjury condition.

The Role of Microsurgery in Burn Surgery.

Acute burn reconstruction involves intricate strategies such as skin grafting and innovative technologies, addressing challenges in coverage and minimizing donor site morbidity. Despite being rarely used, flap reconstruction becomes necessary when critical structures are exposed, offering robust coverage and reducing complications. However, free flaps in acute burns face challenges, including a higher failure rate attributed to hyperinflammatory states and hypercoagulability. Surgical optimization strategies involve careful timing, patient preparation, and meticulous postoperative care. In delayed burn reconstruction, free flaps proved effective in functional and aesthetic restoration, with low flap loss rates and minimal contracture recurrence. Prefabricated and prelaminated flaps emerged as a solution for complex cases, ensuring the best functional and aesthetic possible outcomes in challenging facial burn reconstructions.

Acute and Reconstructive Burn Care of the Hand.

The hand is commonly affected in thermal injuries. Hand burns account for 39% of all burns and they are involved in 34% of instances when the total body surface area of a burn exceeds 15%. Inadequate or inappropriate treatment could result in significant morbidity. The ultimate integration of a burn patient into the society largely depends on the functionality of the hands. Hence, it is important to reduce complications by providing good care during the acute stage.

Management of the Sequelae of Skin Grafting: Pruritis, Folliculitis, Pigmentation Changes, and More.

Scars commonly give rise to unpredictable, potentially irritating, cutaneous complications including pruritis, folliculitis, and pigment changes. These problems can be self-limiting and are prevalent in many burn cases, although their expression varies among individuals. A better understanding of the presentation, risk factors, and pathophysiology of these long-term sequelae allows for more comprehensive care of burn survivors.

Surgical Management of Chronic Neuropathic Burn Pain.

Burn-related chronic neuropathic pain can contribute to a decreased quality of life. When medical and pharmacologic therapies prove ineffective, patients should undergo evaluation for surgical intervention, consisting of a detailed physical examination and elective diagnostic nerve block, to identify an anatomic cause of pain. Based on symptoms and physical examination findings, particularly Tinel's sign, treatments can vary, including a trial of laser therapies, fat grafting, or nerve surgeries (nerve decompression, neuroma excision, targeted muscle reinnervation, regenerative peripheral nerve interfaces, and vascularized denervated muscle targets). It is essential to counsel patients to establish appropriate expectations prior to treatment with a multidisciplinary team.

Fat Grafting and Regenerative Medicine in Burn Care.

Regenerative therapies such as fat grafting and Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) have emerged as new options to tackle burn-related injuries and their long-term sequelae. Fat grafting is able to promote wound healing by regulating the inflammatory response, stimulating angiogenesis, favoring the remodeling of the extracellular matrix, and enhancing scar appearance. PRP can enhance wound healing by accelerating stages including hemostasis and re-epithelization. It can improve scar quality and complement fat grafting procedures. Their cost-effectiveness, minimal invasiveness, and promising results observed in the literature have made these tools as therapeutic candidates. The current evidence on fat grafting and PRP in acute and reconstructive burns is described and discussed in this study.

Postoperative hypothermia is associated with reduced length of stay in adult acute burn survivors.

BACKGROUND: The hypermetabolic response after a burn predisposes patients to hypothermia due to dysfunction of thermoregulation. Traditionally, hypothermia is avoided actively in burn care due to reported complications associated with low body temperature. The likelihood of hypothermia with acute burn surgery is compounded by general anesthesia, exposure of wound areas and prolonged operation times. However, we find limited studies exploring the effects of perioperative hypothermia on length of stay in the adult burn population. OBJECTIVE: To determine associations between postoperative hypothermia and hospital length of stay in adult burns patients. METHOD: This retrospective cohort study involved patients admitted to the State Adult Burn Unit in Western Australia between 1st January 2015 to 28th February 2021. All adults who underwent surgery for acute burn, and had postoperative recovery room body temperature recorded, were included in the study. In this study, we defined normothermia as >36.5C and hypothermia as < 36.0 °C with mild, moderate, and severe hypothermia being 35.0-35.9 °C, 34.0-34.9 °C and < 34.0 °C, respectively. Patients with hyperthermia were excluded. Multivariable general linear models explored if hypothermia was independently associated with length of stay. RESULTS: Among 1486 adult patients, 1338 (90%) were normothermic postoperatively, with temperatures >36.0C. We included 148 (10%) patients with hypothermia (temperature <36.0 °C) postoperatively. Most burns in the study population were minor: 96% had burns < 15% TBSA. Data modelling demonstrated that hypothermia was associated with a shorter length of hospital stay (coefficient = -0.129, p = 0.041). CONCLUSION: In adult acute burn patients, postoperative hypothermia was associated with reduced length of stay after surgery. The positive results of this study indicate that a review of the core temperature targets with acute burn surgery, and timing of burn patient cooling practices in general is warranted.

Limited debridement combined with ReCell® Techniques for deep second-degree burns.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this article is to introduce a method that combines limited debridement and ReCell® autologous cell regeneration techniques for the treatment of deep second-degree burn wounds. METHOD: A total of 20 patients suffered with deep second-degree burns less than 10% of total body surface area (TBSA) who were admitted to our department, from June 2019 to June 2021, participated in this study. These patients first underwent limited debridement with an electric/pneumatic dermatome, followed by the ReCell® technique for secondary wounds. Routine treatment was applied to prevent scarring after the wound healed. Clinical outcomes were scored using the Vancouver Scar Scale (VSS). RESULTS: All wounds of the patients healed completely. One patient developed an infection in the skin graft area and finally recovered by routine dressing changes. The average healing time was 12 days (range: 10-15 days). The new skin in the treated area was soft and matched the colour of the surrounding normal skin and the VSS score ranged from 3~5 for each patient. Of the 20 patients, 19 were very satisfied and 1 was satisfied. CONCLUSIONS: This article reports a useful treatment method that combines electric dermatome-dependent limited debridement and the ReCell® technique for the treatment of deep second-degree burn wounds. It is a feasible and effective strategy that is easy to implement and minimally invasive, and it is associated with a short healing time, mild scar formation and little damage to the donor skin area.

Deep burn surgery of the whole dorsum of the hand: Composite skin grafting over acellular dermal matrix versus thick split-thickness skin grafting.

Preservation and restoration of hand function after burn injuries are challenging yet imperative. This study aimed to assess the curative effect of a composite skin graft over an acellular dermal matrix (ADM) and a thick split-thickness skin graft (STSG) for treating deep burns on the hand. Patients who met the inclusion criteria at the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University between September 2011 and January 2020 were retrospectively identified from the operative register. We investigated patient characteristics, time from operation to the start of active motion exercise, take rates of skin graft 7 days post-surgery, donor site recovery, complications and days to complete healing. Patients were followed up for 12 months to evaluate scar quality using the Vancouver Scar Scale (VSS) and hand function through total active motion (TAM) and the Jebsen-Taylor Hand Function Test (JTHFT). A total of 38 patients (52 hands) who received thin STSG on top of the ADM or thick STSG were included. The location of the donor sites was significantly different between Group A (thick STSG) and Group B (thin STSG + ADM) (p = 0.03). There were no statistical differences in age, gender, underlying disease, cause of burn, burn area, dominant hand, patients with two hands operated on and time from burn to surgery between the two groups (p > 0.05). The time from operation to the start of active motion exercise, take rates of skin graft 7 days post-surgery and days to complete healing were not significantly different between Group A and Group B (p > 0.05). The rate of donor sites requiring skin grafting was lower in Group B than in Group A (22.2% vs. 100%, p < 0.001). There were no statistically significant differences in complications between the groups (p = 0.12). Moreover, 12 months postoperatively, the pliability subscore in the VSS was significantly lower in Group A than in Group B (p = 0.01). However, there were no statistically significant differences in vascularity (p = 0.42), pigmentation (p = 0.31) and height subscores (p = 0.13). The TAM and JTHFT results revealed no statistically significant differences between the two groups (p = 0.22 and 0.06, respectively). The ADM combined with thin STSG is a valuable approach for treating deep and extensive hand burns with low donor site morbidity. It has a good appearance and function in patients with hand burns, especially in patients with limited donor sites.

Minimally invasive burn reconstruction with subcutaneous scar contracture release.

BACKGROUND: Scar contracture bands after burns are frequent problems that cause discomfort and physical limitation. This study investigates the efficacy of a minimally invasive contracture band release technique (MICBR) inspired by closed platysmotomy. METHODS: Patients with burn scars treated with MICBR in our center were included retrospectively. Our routine scar and contracture treatments (non-invasive and invasive) were utilized prior to undergoing MICBR. Range of motion (ROM) and Vancouver Scar Scale was measured before and after the procedure when feasible. RESULTS: Forty-five patients were included, with 97 total contracture sites treated all over the body. An average of 1.6 sites were treated per patient, with a maximum of six. Patients age was 6-68 years; total burn surface area ranged from 0.5% to 85%. 24% were performed under local anesthesia. 84% were in originally skin grafted areas. We found significant improvements in ROM and VSS. 84% of patients surveyed were "satisfied" or "very satisfied". 95% reported improved mobility. No significant adverse events occurred. CONCLUSION: This MICBR technique is a versatile, safe, and well-tolerated adjunct procedure that can help patients regain mobility after a burn injury.