OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of negative charge aerosol (NCA) on the treatment of burn wound.

METHODSPatients with superficial or deep partial thickness burn only were enrolled in the study, and they were randomly divided into trial group (T, including 180 cases of superficial thickness burn and 100 cases of deep partial thickness burn), control group (C, including 30 cases with superficial thickness burn and 30 with deep partial thickness burn), and self control group (SC, including 10 cases with superficial thickness burn and 10 with deep partial thickness burn). The patients in T and SC groups were treated with NCA for 1.5 hours, 1-2 times a day, from 6 postburn hour (PBH) to 2 postburn day (PBD), while those in C group received conventional treatment. For those in SC group, some of the wounds were covered with sterile schissel, while other wounds without schissel covering. The general changes in the wounds during NCA treatment were observed, and bacterial culture before and after NCA treatment was performed. The healing time was recorded and the blood biochemical parameters were determined. Rat model with deep partial thickness scald was established, and the rats were also divided into T and C groups, and received treatment as in human. Tissue samples were harvested from the wounds of rats in the 2 groups before and 1, 2, 3 weeks after treatment for pathological examination.

RESULTSThere was no infection and little exudation in the patients in T group. No bacteria were found in the wound before and after NCA treatment. The healing time of the wounds of patients with superficial and deep partial thickness burn in T group was 6.3 +/- 1.6 d and 15.1 +/- 3.1 d, respectively, which was obviously shorter than those in C group (11.3 +/- 1.4 d and 21.2 +/- 1.4 d, P < 0.01). In SC group, the healing time of those with sterile schissel coverage was also significantly shorter than those without covering (P < 0.01). There was no obvious change in the liver and kidney functions and blood biochemical parameters among the patients. Pathological examination showed that the skin structure was almost recovered in the rats in T group 3 weeks after treatment, while those in C group was not.

CONCLUSIONNegative charge aerosol is safe and effective in promoting wound healing of the patients with partial thickness burns.