Benefit of hydrocolloid SSD dressing in the outpatient management of partial thickness burns

Silver sulfadiazine has been used as topical medication in the treatment of partial-thickness burns or secondary degree burns for many years. Pain during daily wound cleansing is the main problem. Urgotul SSD, a hydrocolloid dressing with silver sulfadiazine (SSD) has been reported to reduce infection and exhibit antimicrobial activity in burn wounds. The purpose of the present study was to compare the efficacy of Urgotul SSD and 1% silver sulfadiazine for treatment of partial thickness burn wounds. The authors reviewed 68 patients who had partial thickness burn wound less than 15% total body surface area (TBSA%) and were treated at Siriraj outpatient burn clinic during July 2005-December 2006. All patients were divided into two groups: Urgotul SSD treated group (34 patients) and 1% silver sulfadiazine treated group (34 patients). The two groups were compared by the demographic data including age, gender, % total body surface area (TBSA) burn, % TBSA deep burn, type of burn as well as percent of wound infection, total cost of wound dressing, pain medication, level of pain and time of wound healing. There were no differences in demographic data of age, % TBSA burn, % wound infection, total treatment cost of burn wound care (52 +/- 38 US$ for Urgotul SSD versus 45 +/- 34 US$ for silver sulfadiazine treated group). Time of wound closure was significantly shorter in the Urgotul SSD treated group (10 +/- 4 days in Urgotul SSD versus 12 +/- 6 in 1% silver sulfadiazine treated group) between both groups (p < 0.05). Average pain scores and pain medication in Urgotul SSD treated group was significantly lower than 1% silver sulfadiazine treated group (3 +/- 1 versus 6 +/- 2 and respectively, p < 0.05). All of the patients who developed wound infection responded well to targeted topical and oral antibiotic treatment. The authors conclude that Urgotul SSD has advantages of reducing pain symptom, pain medication requirement, increased patient convenience due to decreased time of follow-up at outpatient burn clinic, limiting the frequency of replacement of the dressing at comparable total cost and incidence of burn wound infection. The present study confirms the efficacy of Urgotul SSD in the treatment of partial thickness or secondary degree burn wound at the outpatient clinic.