OBJECTIVETo analyze several methods of wound repair for deep partial thickness burn wounds retrospectively, so as to evaluate the significance of improvement of wound microcirculation on wound healing.

METHODS(1) 2,976 burn patients admitted to our department were enrolled in the study, among them 614 undertook tangential excision, 32, eschar abrasion, 86 allo-skin coverage after debridement, 1836 tropical application of silver sulfadiazine and 408 with traditional Chinese medicine (Jing Wan Hong ointment) with gauze bandage. The results of the management with different methods were compared. (2) Rat model with deep partial thickness burn was reproduced and topical application of silver sulfadiazine was given. The rats were randomly divided into control (n = 10, with normal saline injected via caudal vein within 5 minutes postburn), and treatment (n = 10, with batroxobin injected via caudal vein within 5 minutes postburn) groups. The blood flow perfusion unit in the wound skin was measured before burn and at 0.5 to 72 postburn hours by Laser Doppler. The wound healing rate, contraction rate and wound healing time in each group were calculated on 14 and 18 postburn days (PBDs). The number of hair follicles after wound healing was observed by histological method.

RESULTS(1) The burn wound treated by tangential excision healed within 2 to 3 post operation weeks (POWs), with the healing rate of 94.8% in patients with burn covering 50% - 70% TBSA and 93.4% in those with burn of 80% approximately 98% TBSA. The healing time of patients with allo-grafts coverage after eschar abrasion was 13.8 +/- 2.1 days without scar formation. The wound healing time was 18.0 +/- 2.3 day in 82 patients with allo-graft coverage after debridement, and it was 26.0 +/- 3.2 days with subeschar healing in 1658 patients with topical application of silver sulfadiazine. Infection in burn wound was encountered in most patients undergoing traditional Chinese medicine bandage treatment with wound healing time of 26.0 +/- 2.8 days in the lower extremities. (2) The blood flow perfusion unit of the rats in the treatment group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P < 0.01). The wound healing rate in treatment group on 14 and 18 PBD was obviously higher than that in the control group (P < 0.01). But the wound contraction rate in the two groups was similar (P > 0.05). The wound healing time in treatment group was much shorter than that in control group (P < 0.01). A few hair follicles remained in the dermis of the rats in the control group on 30 PBD, and the number was evidently smaller than that in the treatment group (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONEarly tangential excision and eschar abrasion remained better methods in the management of deep partial thickness burn wounds, as they could ameliorate burn wound infection, shorten treatment period, raise wound healing rate and quality. Application of batroxobin could accelerate wound healing rate by improving wound microcirculation in deep partial thickness burn wound.