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Various creams are available for superficial second-degree burns (SSDB) of the face.We evaluated provitamin pantothenic acid versus β-glucan for SSDB of the face using the O2C laser Doppler system and digital photo analysis. Out of 20 patients (January to December 2012) with facial burns, 7 with SSDB of both cheeks were included to our study. Burned cheek wounds were treated using pantothenic acid or β-glucan. Digital photos of marked regions were taken daily from predefined distances. Microcirculation wasmeasured atmarked regions for 7 days at scheduled time points using the O2C laser Doppler. Data were evaluated using the SPSS program (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL). Wounds treated with β-glucan showed faster reepithelialization. O2C laser Doppler measurements showed faster increase in SO2, microvascular perfusion, hemoglobin content, and blood flow. This correlated good with clinical Vancouver Scar Scale results. Although not statistically significant, β-glucan cream therapy of SSDB results in aesthetically superior outcome and faster reepithelialization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: When combustion and ambustion induce a superficial injury, they are summarized as superficial burns, regardless of the underlying cause. Reflectance-confocal microscopy (RCM) allows noninvasive imaging of the human skin on morphological features. We hypothesized that combustion and ambustion have different histomorphological effects on the human skin. Methods: Superficial burns caused by combustion (CO-group, five females, three males; aged 26.8 ± 14.2 years) and caused by ambustion (AM-group, four females, four males; aged 28.1 ± 13.8 years) were evaluated 24 h after injury. The following parameters were obtained using RCM on injured and noninjured (control) site: horny layer thickness, epidermal thickness, granular cell size, basal layer thickness. Results: Compared with the controls (12.8 ± 2.5 μm), horny layer thickness decreased significantly to 10.6 ± 2.1 μm in the CO-group, whereas it increased significantly to 17.8 ± 2.8 μm in the AM-group. The epidermal thickness did not differ significantly in CO-group (47.9 ± 2.1 μm) and AM-group (49.0 ± 3.1 μm), however, both increased significantly compared with the controls (42.7 ± 1.6 μm). The basal layer thickness increased more in AM-group (17.0 ± 1.2 μm) compared to CO-group (15.4 ± 1.1 μm). Both differed significantly compared with their controls (13.9 ± 0.9 μm). The granular cell size increased significantly in both groups ompared to the controls (721 ± 42 μm), however, a significantly higher increase was observed in CO-group compared to AM-group (871 ± 55 μm vs. 831 ± 51 μm). Conclusions: RCM evaluates significant histomorphological differences in superficial burns caused by combustion and ambustion. The term 'superficial burn' should consider the underlying cause and thus supplemented by the term 'combustion' or 'ambustion.' Microsc. Res. Tech., 2010. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a detailed discussion on the treatment of burn traumas, and pathophysiology. As stated, the expression "burn disease" describes the pathophysiological condition which patients develop, even when only small areas of the body are affected by burns. Severely burned patients are cared for in specialized intensive wards which have semi-sterile laminar flow boxes, their own operating rooms, and special bathrooms.

Self-immolation constitutes a rare form of suicide in developed countries, though it accounts for unique injury characteristics in the burn intensive care unit. The aim of this study was to present the epidemiological and clinical features of patients burned during a suicidal attempt seen in a North Rhine-Westphalia burn intensive care unit (BICU). To address this aim, we undertook a 21-year retrospective study involving patients with thermal injuries admitted to the largest burn unit in Germany. A total of 125 suicide-related burn victims were identified in the study period (9.4%). Comparing the self-immolation group with the rest burn patient cohort, suicide victims were more likely to be single and to act under the influence of alcohol. The suicidal group had a larger extent of burns, higher incidence of inhalation injury, required more surgical procedures, catecholamines, blood transfusions, and a longer BICU stay. Their clinical course was complicated by prolonged intubation period, higher rate of multiple drug-resistant bacteria acquisition and sepsis, leading to a higher mortality rate. Although the proportion of self-immolation victims among all burned patients is not high, the markedly higher severity of their burns and their poorer quality of outcomes makes them an important clinical subgroup for further study.