Clinical Efficacy of the 830 nm LED Phototherapy for Burn Patients

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Phototherapy uses the changes caused by the athermal and atraumatic absorption of the photon's energy by the tissue for therapeutic effect. Phototherapy has been proven to be useful in various conditions, for example, in pain attenuation, wound healing and skin rejuvenation. The aim of this research was to evaluate the clinical efficacy of 830 nm LED phototherapy for burn patients. METHODS: We recruited 11 patients who visited this hospital between June and December 2012 with superficial 2nd degree burns to the face for comparative analysis. For phototherapy, we used infrared LED with wavelength of 830 nm. For comparative analysis, we covered one side of the face with sterile aluminum foil and fabric during the treatment. Photographs were taken at the time of each treatment and the time taken for epithelialization and the level of patient satisfaction were also investigated. RESULTS: All 11 patients were male and the mean age was 44.0+/-11.9 years (range of 28~63 years). The cause of the burns was flame burn for 7 patients, and electric sparks in 4 patients. The time taken to achieve epithelialization after the burns was 8.1+/-2.2 days (range 4~12 days) for the side that received phototherapy, while it was 9.1+/-2.9 days (range 4~14 days) for the side that was not treated with phototherapy. In terms of patient satisfaction, 3 patients were 'Very Satisfied', 6 patients were 'Satisfied', 2 patients replied 'Adequate' and none of the patients were 'Unsatisfied'. CONCLUSION: LED phototherapy of 830 nm wavelength can shorten the time taken for burn wound healing. It also was not associated with serious complications except for skin dryness, so it can be a useful treatment method for burns that produces satisfactory outcome for the patients.