Wound Dressings for Burns: A Cost-Effective Option Is Evaluated

Burn injuries are the fourth most common type of injury globally. Cost-effectiveness is a major factor in selecting wound treatment products.

The synthetic dressing SUPRATHEL has been widely used and compared with other wound dressings. Bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) is now being used in burn centers, with studies demonstrating its efficacy. Epicite^hydro, consisting of BNC and 95% water, is one such product.

The researchers conducted the first clinical study directly comparing epicite^hydrowith SUPRATHEL among 20 patients with partial-thickness burns affecting more than 0.5% of their total body surface area (TBSA).

Following debridement, the wounds were divided into 2 areas. One area was treated with SUPRATHEL and the other with epicite^hydro.

Among patients with a mean TBSA of 9.2%, wound healing took 15 to 16 days for both treatments without dressing changes. No infection or bleeding had occurred in any of the wounds.

All wounds showed minimal exudation. Patients reported decreased pain. The researchers noted the only significant difference between the 2 dressings was on the first day. SUPRATHEL and epicite^hydro did not differ significantly in scar evaluation.

While the researchers recommend further multicenter studies with larger sample sizes to validate these results, they concluded that both wound dressings “were easily handled, did not need to be removed or exchanged, were highly flexible, created a barrier against bacteria, showed no infections, had similar effects in pain reduction, and showed good cosmetic and functional results.

“Additionally, comparable healing times were observed with epicite^hydro, which is more cost-effective than SUPRATHEL. Therefore, epicite^hydro can be used as an alternative cost-effective wound dressing to SUPRATHEL for the treatment of partial-thickness burn injuries,” the researchers wrote.

Reference

Schiefer JL, Aretz GF, Fuchs PC, et al. Comparison of wound healing and patient comfort in partial-thickness burn wounds treated with SUPRATHEL and epicite^hydro wound dressings. Int Wound J. 2022;19(4):782-790. doi:10.1111/iwj.1367