Protection of skin with subcutaneous administration of 5% dextrose in water during superficial radiofrequency ablation in a rabbit model

Purpose: This study was to evaluate the efficacy of subcutaneous administration of 5% dextrose in water (D5W), to prevent skin injury during radiofrequency (RF) ablation. Materials and methods: Twenty-four rabbits were divided into three groups: a pre-injection group, a perfusion group, and a control group. Ablative zones were created in the superficial part of the thigh muscle for 6?min. A needle was placed subcutaneously for injection of D5W, and a thermal sensor was positioned nearby for real-time temperature monitoring. The sizes of the ablative zones were measured by contrast-enhanced ultrasonography, and severity of the observed skin injury were scored semi-quantitatively and compared. Results: The highest temperature, the duration of the temperature above 50?°C, and the rise time of the post-procedure temperature were all highest in the control group (p?p?p?p?=?0.091), while the skin injury of the perfusion group was less severe than that of the pre-injection group on post-procedure day 14 (p?=?0.004). No significant difference was found in the sizes of the ablative zones among the groups (p?=?0.720). Conclusion: Subcutaneous perfusion with D5W is effective in protecting the skin against burns during RF ablation without compromising the effect of ablation.