Painless split skin donor sites: a controlled double-blind trial of Opsite, scarlet red and bupivacaine

A prospective randomized double-blind trial comparing Opsite alone, Opsite after application of bupivacaine, scarlet ointment dressing alone and scarlet ointment after bupivacaine was done to assess the effect of these four dressing regimens on split skin donor site pain and healing. Significantly less pain was reported by those dressed with Opsite and this was thought to be due to the immobility of an Opsite dressing. Many of the patients dressed with scarlet ointment felt no pain. It was concluded that movement of dressings is the main factor in pain production and that bupivacaine appeared to have no effect. There was no difference in healing rates between those treated with Opsite and those treated with scarlet ointment. It is concluded that using Opsite is a convenient way of preventing donor site pain, but that to gain maximum advantage from this it should not be applied under tension.