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Introduction Nexobrid®, a bromelain-based type of enzymatic debridement, has become more prevalent in recent years. We present the recommendations on enzymatic debridement (Nexobrid®)’s role based on the practice knowledge of expert Italian users. Methods The Italian recommendations, endorsed by SIUST (Italian Society of Burn Surgery), on using enzymatic debridement to remove eschars for burn treatment were defined. The definition followed a process to evaluate the level of agreement (a measure of consensus) among selected experts, representing Italian burn centers, concerning defined clinical aspects of enzymatic debridement. The consensus involved a multi-phase process based on the Delphi method. Results The consensus panel included experts from Italy with a combined experience of 1068 burn patients treated with enzymatic debridement. At the end of round 3 of the Delphi method, the panel reached 100% consensus on 26 out of 27 statements. The panel achieved full, strong consensus (all respondents strongly agreed on the statement) on 24 out of 27 statements. Discussion The statements provided by the Italian consensus panel represent a “ready to use” set of recommendations for enzymatic debridement in burn surgery that both draw from and complete the existing scientific literature on the topic. These recommendations are specific to the Italian experience and are neither static nor definitive. As such, they will be updated periodically as further quality evidence becomes available.

Considerable reorganization of the regional network for pediatric burn treatment during the pandemic was required to cope with severe burn injuries in small children. In support of the emergency network for burns during the COVID-19 pandemic, we referred to regional indications for centralization in our hospital for all children aged less than 5 years who presented with severe burns, &gt, 15% of total body surface area (TBSA), or who necessitated admittance to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). A new service with a dedicated management protocol was set up to treat pediatric burns in our SARS-CoV-2 pediatric hospital during the lockdown period. A multidisciplinary burn treatment team was set up to offer compassionate and comprehensive burn care. Patient’s clinical data, burn features, treatment and follow up were recorded. A higher number of admissions was recorded from February to December 2020 compared with the same period in 2019 (52 vs. 32 admissions). Eighteen patients were admitted to the COVID-19 Service (10 M/8 F, 3.10 ± 2.6 yrs), ten children (55.5%) were hospitalized in the ward and eight in the ICU (44.5%). Fifty percent of the cases presented with lesions extending over &gt, 15% TBSA, in one case, TBSA was 35%. All patients suffered 2nd-degree burns, while five patients also had 3rd degree lesions covering more than 15% TBSA. All of the injuries occurred at home. No major secondary infections were recorded. Successful treatment was achieved in 94.4% of cases. The average length of stay was 15.2 ± 12.6 days. A proactive, carefully planned service, involving a multidisciplinary team, was created to ensure appropriate care in a pediatric hospital during the COVID-19 period, despite the effective pandemic associated challenges. Better health promotion in pediatric burn cases should also include dedicated TBSA assessment and a database of children’s burn characteristics.

Full‐thickness burns of the face are notoriously difficult to repair and their management poses a series of problems to the surgeon. We present the case of a 49‐year‐old man (only survivor of a catastrophic airport accident) with third‐degree flame burns to >80% of total body surface area and extensive face damage who achieved a fully satisfactory outcome after a treatment plan based on gradual escharectomy followed by application of artificial dermis and, later, grafting with sheets of cultured keratinocytes. Re‐epithelialisation was already visible at day 16 after admission and all facial wounds were closed by day 56, the treatment continuing on the scalp. Within 6 months of the accident, the patient had recovered functional and cosmetic features (including re‐growth of skin appendages) that were beyond expectations. The use of nanocrystalline silver‐coated dressings during the escharectomy and resurfacing phases was important, as part of a multifaceted strategy, in ensuring excellent antimicrobial control, thus avoiding the need for autologous grafting and contributing to a rapid healing and complete restoration of the face and head skin.

A multi-centre, open, within-patient controlled study was performed on 23 adult burnt patients to investigate the effectiveness, safety and tolerability of Veloderm in comparison with Algisite M and Jaloskin in split-thickness skin graft donor site care. The areas dressed with Veloderm completely healed within 10-13 days in a significant higher proportion than the other two dressings (47.6% for Veloderm versus 26.3% for Algisite M and 10% for Jaloskin, P

A multi-centre, open, within-patient controlled study was performed on 23 adult burnt patients to investigate the effectiveness, safety and tolerability of Veloderm in comparison with Algisite M and Jaloskin in split-thickness skin graft donor site care. The areas dressed with Veloderm completely healed within 10-13 days in a significant higher proportion than the other two dressings (47.6% for Veloderm versus 26.3% for Algisite M and 10% for Jaloskin, P0.03), showing during the whole study less incidence of exudates and of peri-lesional erythema. The aesthetic outcome of the treated lesions after healing was significantly better for Veloderm (P=0.0016). Veloderm) and Jaloskin required very few renewals of the medication during the first week of treatment, while Algisite M needed several multiple re-dressings. Veloderm was judged better than the other two treatments as far as the acceptability (P0.001), ease of use (P0.001) and efficacy (P0.00001). Both pain during application or at removal of dressings and local infections were negligible with all treatments. No scars were formed in any skin donor site. In conclusion Veloderm is a safe and effective dressing for the re-epithelialization of the skin graft donor sites: it showed higher activity than the other two compared dressings.

The effects of chronic compression of the cranial bone due to progressive expansion of the scalp have been investigated. Ten patients were studied, 6 adults and 4 children, who were treated for congenital (microtia) or acquired (burns or traumatic) deformities by chronic expansion over a 2-month period. All underwent computed tomography scans of the expansion site prior to introduction of the expansion device, immediately before removal, and at 9 months after the operation. A case of postburn alopecia was lost to the study, because the patient, who had ultimated scalp expansion, did not return for flap advancement. Instead, she came back 3 months later, without the expander, which had been removed at another institution following an automobile accident. In this case, because of slower healing, we performed computed tomography scans 18 months postoperation. During the second procedure (expander removal and flap transposition), bone samples for histological examination were collected directly underneath and along the perimeter of the expanders. Macroscopically, the bone appeared thinned and had a reduced convexity. This reaction, although temporary, appeared more intense in the children and in the posttraumatic cases. Histological examination showed osteoclastic activation, bony hypotrophy, and reaction (deposition of osteoid matrix) under the device, with consequent bone resorption and remodeling. A marked hyperplasia with a hyperostotic reaction was observed around the expanders. At 9 months postoperation, in most cases, a complete normalization was confirmed by computed tomography scans. Expansion of target (fontanellar and sagittal) areas of the skull in children, as well as previous trauma to both scalp and skull should be taken into consideration as a risk factor. Further investigations are suggested.