Topical agents and dressings in care of burns

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Topical antimicrobial agents and dressings for the burn wounds, aim to protect the wound surface, maintain a moist environment, enhance wound healing and prevent wound progression, minimize the patient's discomfort.

Aim: The review of the literature to investigate the effectiveness of local agents and dressings,on healing and infectionsof burns.

Method: The literature was searched in the PUBMED database with the terms (burn) AND (topical therapy OR topical agents OR topical antiseptics). The search involved randomized clinical trials over a decade and included a total of 11 studies.

Results: Aquacel® Ag dressings, honey dressings, Vaseline gel, Ectoderm cream and Aloe Vera gel were associated with a shorter healing time and/ or shorter re-epithelialization of the burn wound compared to other dressings or cream silver sulfadiazine. Also, Moist Exposed Burn Ointment, Fifing Aurelian Burn Ointment, rhyme-CSF hydrogen and topical treatment with heparin have been found to be effective in healing burns. In radiation burns found, topical honey pentoxifylline has been found to be associated with faster healing, less pain and improved mobility versus usual treatment. Factors associated with a significantly lower incidence of burn infections than the control group were honey, hydrogen GM-CSF and Ectoderm.

Conclusions: Although silver sulfadiazine is the gold standard in the treatment of second-degree burns, it seems that there are other factors that have been shown to be effective and are associated with promoting re-epithelialization and healing and protecting against infections by increasing treatment options.

Keywords: Βurn, topical agents, topical antiseptics, topical therapy