The use of lyophilised skin as an initial dressing in partial thickness burns

Summary Sixty patients with partial thickness burns have been treated using freeze dried cadaver allograft. It has proved a convenient biological dressing and has useful properties of pain relief, reduction in fluid loss and post burn skin hypertrophy and irritation; there is reduction in healing time compared with exposed areas. The limitation in its use lies in the availability of cadaver skin.In our opinion the presence of lyophilised allograft ensures that optimum conditions for healing prevail through mechanical protection of the burn wound. On the whole, infection is reduced by sealing the wound and prevention of evaporative loss greatly reduces the amount of resuscitative fluid required in the post burn period. The early mobility found by using lyophilised allograft on hand skin covering joint sites is largely due to relief of pain and reduction in bulky dressings. At the same time early dispersal of oedema occurs.We would like to thank the Consultants at Queen Victoria Hospital under whose care these patients came, and the Department of Medical Photography for their co-operation in this trial.