Retrospective comparison of postoperative dressing after eschar dermabrasion on paediatric scald wounds: Bacterial cellulose dressing and allogenic skin

Abstract

Eschar dermabrasion is an easy, cost‐effective and dependable technique for debriding deep partial‐thickness burn wounds, highly suitable for paediatric scalds. Postoperative dressing plays a crucial role in the subsequent healing process. While allogenic skin (AGS) has long been considered as the optimal coverage for abraded burn wounds by Chinese burn specialists, its clinical application on children has encountered challenges. In recent years, our department has observed promising results in the application of bacterial cellulose dressing on paediatric burn wounds after dermabrasion surgery. This study aimed to retrospectively review qualified cases from the past 5 years and categorize them into two groups: 201 cases in the AGS group and 116 cases in the bacterial cellulose dressing (BCD) group. Upon statistical analysis, no differences were oberved between the groups in terms of demographic information and wound characteristics. However, the BCD group had a significantly longer surgery time (44.3 ± 7.0 min vs. 31.5 ± 6.1 min, p < 0.01) and shorter healing time (19.6 ± 2.2 days vs. 24.4 ± 4.3 days, p < 0.01) compared to the AGS group. Moreover, the BCD group required fewer dressing changes (3.5 ± 0.8 vs. 6.7 ± 2.1, p < 0.01) and demonstrated lower rates of skin grafting (10/116 vs. 46/201, p = 0.036). In conclusion, our findings suggest that the bacterial cellulose material may serve as an optimal coverage option for paediatric abraded scald wounds.