Usability and effectiveness of Suprathel^® in partial thickness burns in children

Purpose: Evaluation of usability and effectiveness of Suprathel^® in the treatment of partial thickness burns in children.

Methods: A prospective, observational study to evaluate adherence of Suprathel^® to the wound bed, reepithelialization time, grafting, wound colonization and infection, pain, dressing changes, length of hospital stay (LOS) and scar formation.

Results: Twenty-one children (median age 2.4 years, range 5 months-14 years) with a median total body surface area (TBSA) of 4 % (range 1-18) were included. Median LOS was 10 days (range 3-20). Median outer layer dressing changes was 3 (range 1-14). Suprathel^® was only adherent in wounds debrided with Versajet^®. Median reepithelialization time was 13 days (range 7-29). Three patients needed a split skin graft. There were 7 (33 %) patients with wound colonization before application of Suprathel^®. This increased to 12 (57 %) patients during treatment. One patient developed a wound infection. Median visual analog scale (VAS) scores for background and procedural pain in patients >7 years were 3.2 (range 2-5) and 3.5 (range 2-5), respectively. In younger patients, median background and procedural COMFORT-B scores were 13.8 (range 10-23) and 14.8 (range 13-23, p = 0.03), respectively. Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale (POSAS) scores were favorable after 3 and 6 months post burn.

Conclusions: Suprathel^® provides potential advantages regarding pain and scar formation, but extensive wound debridement is needed to achieve adequate adherence.