Use of Suprathel® for partial thickness burns in children

We evaluated the use of Suprathel(®), a synthetic skin substitute, for partial thickness burns in children. Thirty-three children (20 females, 13 males; mean age 29 months, range 5 months to 11 years) with burns were treated with Suprathel(®). The burns were superficial partial thickness (n=24) or mid-dermal (n=19); the median %TBSA was 4% (range 1-13%). Suprathel(®) was applied after debridement, followed by Vaseline gauze, dry gauze and crepe bandage. The outer dressings were changed every 5-10 days unless clinical problems dictated otherwise. Median healing time was 16 days (range 9-38 days). Ten patients took longer than 21 days to heal, of whom four developed hypertrophic scarring, which was strongly associated with wound infection (p<0.05). Healing time of superficial partial thickness and mid-dermal burns was not significantly different (p=0.494). Suprathel(®) is an effective skin substitute for the treatment of partial thickness burns in children. The majority of burns in children are mixed depth, and Suprathel(®) has the advantage that it may also be used to treat mid-dermal burns. It behaves like a biological dressing but is not animal derived, so is acceptable to all religious and ethnic groups. Further studies to evaluate the efficacy and cost effectiveness of Suprathel(®) compared to other dressings in children are warranted.