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Updated: Apr 18, 2026
Author Spotlight: A Multi-Depth Porcine Model for Comprehensive Study of Burn Injuries and Healing Processes
Published on: February 23, 2024
Evaluation of haemoglobin in blister fluid as an indicator of paediatric burn wound depth
Catherine Tanzer1, Dayle L Sampson2, James A Broadbent2
1Tissue Repair and Regeneration Program, Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, Brisbane, QLD, Australia; School of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, Brisbane, QLD, Australia; Centre for Children's Burns and Trauma Research, Queensland Children's Medical Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Herston, Brisbane, QLD, Australia; Wound Management Innovation Co-operative Research Centre, Kelvin Grove, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
Insights
Hemoglobin in burn blister fluid is not a reliable indicator of burn depth. Its concentration is more closely linked to sample collection time and wound healing duration, suggesting erythrocyte lysis in the blister fluid.
Area of Science:
- Biomarker discovery
- Wound healing research
- Paediatric burn management
Background:
- Accurate burn depth assessment is crucial for treatment but challenging for clinicians.
- Protein biomarkers may aid clinical judgment in burn assessment.
- Free circulating hemoglobin showed potential as a burn depth indicator in animal models.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate hemoglobin abundance in paediatric burn blister fluid as a potential biomarker for burn depth.
- To explore the relationship between hemoglobin levels, burn severity, and wound healing characteristics.
Main Methods:
- Collected blister fluid from paediatric burn patients.
- Measured hemoglobin abundance using semi-quantitative Western blot and immunoassays.
- Analyzed the impact of centrifugation on hemoglobin concentration and its relation to burn depth.
Main Results:
- A trend of increasing hemoglobin with burn severity was observed, but with significant patient sample deviations.
- Hemoglobin concentration decreased significantly after removing cells and debris via centrifugation.
- Hemoglobin abundance correlated more strongly with time from injury to collection and spontaneous re-epithelialisation time than burn depth.
Conclusions:
- Hemoglobin abundance in burn blister fluid is not a reliable standalone biomarker for burn depth.
- Factors like sample collection time and erythrocyte lysis within the blister fluid influence hemoglobin levels.
- Further research is needed to understand the role of the blister fluid microenvironment in burn healing.
Abstract:
The early and accurate assessment of burns is essential to inform patient treatment regimens; however, this first critical step in clinical practice remains a challenge for specialist burns clinicians worldwide. In this regard, protein biomarkers are a potential adjunct diagnostic tool to assist experienced clinical judgement. Free circulating haemoglobin has previously shown some promise as an indicator of burn depth in a murine animal model. Using blister fluid collected from paediatric burn patients, haemoglobin abundance was measured using semi-quantitative Western blot and immunoassays. Although a trend was observed in which haemoglobin abundance increased with burn wound severity, several patient samples deviated significantly from this trend. Further, it was found that haemoglobin concentration decreased significantly when whole cells, cell debris and fibrinous matrix was removed from the blister fluid by centrifugation; although the relationship to depth was still present. Statistical analyses showed that haemoglobin abundance in the fluid was more strongly related to the time between injury and sample collection and the time taken for spontaneous re-epithelialisation. We hypothesise that prolonged exposure to the blister fluid microenvironment may result in an increased haemoglobin abundance due to erythrocyte lysis, and delayed wound healing.
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