Role of antioxidants in the treatment of burn lesions

Burns are a major health problem worldwide, with high mortality and morbidity in addition to causing changes in the quality of life of burn patients. Utilizing antioxidant therapeutic strategies depending on new mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of burns-related "oxidative stress" may be considered a promising step in burns management. This study involved 180 burn patients of varying age and either sex and with varying burns percentages. The patients were subdivided into six groups (A, B, C, D, E, and F); each group thus included 30 patients. Patients in groups B, C, D, E, and F were treated with antioxidants (vitamin E with vitamin C, zinc sulphate, allopurinol, melatonin, and N-acetylcysteine respectively) while group A was treated according to hospital policy, without any antioxidant; also, healthy subjects (group G) were involved in the study as a control group for comparison.In each group we examined serum malondialdehyde and serum glutathione levels, serum zinc and copper levels, liver function, renal function, mortality rate, and healing time, using standard methods. It was found that the administration of antioxidants to burn patients produced significant improvement in the parameters studied compared with group A (no antioxidant given). This study clearly shows the importance of the therapeutic targeting of oxidative stress in the treatment of burns. It is important to consider antioxidant a most effective weapon that must be added to the arsenal available in the combating of burn complications.