Scar Outcomes for Conservatively Managed Children Post Burn Injury: A Retrospective Study

Overview

Journal Int Wound J

Specialties Emergency Medicine
Orthopedics

Date 2024 Jul 1

PMID 38949188

Authors

Stephanie Ball

Stephanie Wicks

Rhianydd Thomas

Claire Toose

Kelly Gray

Verity Pacey

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Hypertrophic scarring is a significant complication post burn injury, especially for delayed healing after 3 weeks. Burn injuries healing prior to 3 weeks also have the potential to develop hypertrophic scarring, even when prescribed prophylactic conservative scar interventions. A retrospective chart audit reviewed 326 burn patients treated at a paediatric tertiary hospital from 2014 to 2019 who sustained a partial thickness burn, healed >14 days and did not receive skin grafting. A scar was deemed hypertrophic if >1 mm in height. Early hypertrophic scar prevalence was defined as 3-6 months post burn, while persistent hypertrophic scarring was defined as 12-18 months post burn. Median days to wound closure was 18. The prevalence of early and persistent hypertrophic scarring was 56.1% and 16.3%, respectively. Seventeen (5.2%) children underwent medical interventions for scar modulation. Early signs of hypertrophic scarring were seen in just over half the patients presenting to burn therapy and despite scar intervention, persistent hypertrophic scarring was seen in 16.3%. At both time points, just over half of the children presenting healed between 14 and 21 days. Therefore, children healing prior to 21 days have potential to develop hypertrophic scarring.

Citing Articles

Supplementation of glutamine and probiotics should be emphasised in scar prevention in conservatively managed children post burn injury.

Xue Y, Li W, Gong Z Int Wound J. 2024; 21(10):e70057.

PMID: 39370413 PMC: 11456368. DOI: 10.1111/iwj.70057.

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