Evidence ‐based injury prediction data for the water temperature and duration of exposure for clinically relevant deep dermal scald injuries

This study used a porcine burn model to investigate the time and temperature threshold for clinically relevant deep dermal injuries for both immersion (long duration) and spill/splash (short duration) scald events. Scald wounds were created on the flanks of anaesthetised juvenile Large White pigs (27kgs). Acute tissue injury evaluations performed at 1 hour and days 1, 3 and 7 post‐burn (16 pigs) included: wound examination, biopsies and Laser Doppler Imaging. Up to 20 burn combinations were tested including: 50 to 60°C water for 1 to 10 minutes (immersion); and 60 to 90°C water for 5 seconds (spill/splash). Burn conditions demonstrating mid‐to‐deep dermal damage histologically were followed for 21 days to assess time to re‐epithelialize (8 pigs). Histologically, depth of damage increased until day 3 post‐burn. Damage to ≥ 75% of the depth of dermis was associated with burns taking longer than 3 weeks to fully re‐epithelialize. For spill/splash (5 second) scalds, water at ≥ 75°C showed damage to mid‐dermis or deeper by day 3, however only burns from water ≥ 85°C were not re‐epithelialized by day 21. For immersion scalds of equivalent duration, water at 55°C caused significantly deeper dermal damage than 50°C (p<0.05) at day 3. Immersion scalds which were not fully re‐epithelialized by day 21 included: 50°C for > 10 minutes; 55°C for 5 minutes; 60°C for 60 seconds; 70°C for > 15 seconds. This research provides valua...
Source: Wound Repair and Regeneration - Category: Surgery Authors: Tags: Original Research ‐Basic Science Source Type: research