Effect of Growth Hormone on Outcome of Pediatric Burn Patients

Abstract

Background A burn is a thermal injury caused by biological, chemical, electrical and physical agents with local and systemic repercussions. There are several ways of classifying burns: Classification by mechanism or cause, Classification by the degree and depth of a burn, Classification by extent of burn the extent of burn. Objectives The objective of this study was to determine the safety and efficacy of using recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) in the treatment of pediatric burn victims and their ICU length of stay, mortality and morbidity. Patients and Methods This study was an Interventional randomized controlled Double Blind Study in which Patients subdivided randomly into 2 groups: Group A received somatotropine hormone after their 3 days of resuscitation besides their conventional treatment during their stay in the Burn ICU. Group B received the conventional treatment only in the Burn ICU. Results The comparison between the GH group and the control group showed that the mean ICU stay in days in GH group was 10.88 while in the control group 13.59 with P value 0.018 as a significant result as the GH group showed a less ICU stay time than the control group with approximately 20%. Mortality in the GH group was 6.2% from the total number of the group while in control group 18.8% from the total number of the group with P value 0.033 as a significant result yet the mortality may also depend on other factors as the degree of burn and the area of burn and the associated events like inhalational injury or delay post burn or any other co-morbidity. Morbidity results seen was 0% in control group and 4.7% in GH group with P value 0.080 as a non-significant result, morbidity was in the form of hyperglycemia. Conclusion The use of recombinant Growth hormone with a dose of 0.2 mg/Kg SQ 2 days per week with 3 days time interval in pediatric burn patients after their primary resuscitation from the burn injury, shows a marvelous improvement concerning the ICU stay time as the patient received the growth hormone showed an approximately 20% time less ICU stay than the control group this may be accounted for the faster wound healing and readiness for grafting and even faster graft healing, also a decreased mortality in a significant way, although mortality may depend on many factors in burn patients like degree of burn and the area of burn and the associated events like inhalational injury or any other co-morbidity.