The main trend moves towards early excision and skin grafting as treatment for the deep second degree burns and the third degree burns. The ability to excision & skin grafting. This study prospectively evaluated the ability of laser doppler flow measurements obtained within 72 hours after burn injury to predict the depth of burn wounds. A Periflux system 4001 laser doppler flowmetry had been used to measure cutaneous microflow circulation of 100 selected points of burn wounds in 44 admitted patients from March 1993 to February 1994. The mean value of superficial second degree burn checked by laser doppler was 194.6 perfusion unit(PU). The deep second degree burn was 59.7 PU and third degree burn was 5.1 PU. The blood flow of more than 100 PU reliably predicted the superficial second degree burn with 90.2 percents accuracy. The blood flow between 100 PU and 10 PU predict the deep second degree dermal burn with 96.2 percents accuracy. That of less than 10 PU predict the third degree burn with 100 percents accuracy. There was also a significant correlation between initial flow measurements and the depth of burn wounds. We conclude that laser doppler flow measurements performed early after burn injury are useful in predicting the depth of burn wounds. The laser doppler flowmetry has the advantage of being easy to use, noninvasive, provide immediate result for early determination of burn depth. The laser doppler flowmetry is useful in selecting patients for early excision and grafting of burn wounds.
Burns* ; Humans ; Laser-Doppler Flowmetry* ; Perfusion ; Prospective Studies ; Skin Transplantation ; Transplants ; Wounds and Injuries

Eighty-three cases with severe blepharoptosis were treated by the superiorly based muscle flaps around eye including orbicularis oculi muscle, frontalis muscle, levator muscle. The selection of the muscle flaps were done in accordance with the levator function of patients. The orbicularis oculi muscle flap technique in 32 patients who have 2-5 mm levator function, 21 cases of the interdigitated orbicularis oculi-frontalis muscle flap for 1-3 mm levator function, frontalis muscle flap technique for less than 2 mm levator function, 22 cases of levator muscle resection for 2-8 mm levator function, 7 cases of levator plication for 5-9 mm levator function. The majority of patients recorded as satisfactory results. There has been no complete failure but there were 14 cases of undercorrection, 4 cases of overcorrection, 2 cases of exposure keratitis, 3 cases of corneal erosion, 2 cases of sensory loss, hematoma loss of wrinkle and a few cases of eyelid deformity such as notching, entropion, fading or unnatural fold. The orbicularis oculi muscle technique or the interdigitated orbicularis oculi-frontalis muscle flap technique offers several advantages over conventional frontalis muscle flap technique such as being a simple with a good operative field, single incision or supratarsal fold, no depression on the forehead, no risk of neurovascular injury and relatively easy technique with less complication. The levator resection or levator plication could offer good results by careful selection of patients. In conclusion, we would like to say that the interdigitated frontalis orbicularis oculi muscle flap technique is best in cases with less than 2 mm levator function, orbicularis oculi muscle flap technique in 2-4 mm levator function, levator resection in 4-8 mm levator function, levator plication in more that 8 mm levator function.
Blepharoptosis* ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Depression ; Entropion ; Eyelids ; Forehead ; Hematoma ; Humans ; Keratitis