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07:56
Digital Planimetry for Assessing Wound Closure Kinetics in a Mouse Model
Published on: January 10, 2025
Reliability of subjective wound assessment.
M C T Bloemen1, P P M van Zuijlen, E Middelkoop
1Association of Dutch Burn Centres, Beverwijk, The Netherlands.
Summary
Experienced clinicians can reliably assess split-skin graft take and wound epithelialisation. Observer experience significantly improves the accuracy of these critical burn surgery parameters.
Area of Science:
- Plastic Surgery
- Burn Management
- Wound Healing Research
Background:
- Assessing split-skin graft take and epithelialisation is crucial in burn surgery.
- Current assessments are typically subjective, performed bedside by clinicians.
- The reliability of these subjective assessments requires investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the reliability of subjective clinical assessments for graft take and epithelialisation.
- To determine the impact of observer experience on assessment reliability.
- To compare the reliability of assessments between different levels of observer experience and specialized dermatologists.
Main Methods:
- Fifty photographic skin-grafted burn wounds were assessed by observers with varying experience levels and specialized dermatologists.
- Evaluations focused on percentage graft take and epithelialisation.
- Reliability was quantified using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC).
Main Results:
- Intra- and interobserver reliability for graft take was highest among experienced observers (ICC > 0.91).
- Epithelialisation assessment followed a similar pattern, with experienced observers showing the highest reliability.
- Dermatologists' interobserver reliability was comparable to medium-experienced observers.
Conclusions:
- A single assessment by an experienced observer can yield adequately reliable results for graft take and epithelialisation.
- Increased observer experience directly correlates with enhanced assessment reliability.
- These findings support the value of experienced clinicians in accurately evaluating burn wound healing parameters.
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