Cross-Sectional Study on the Management of Nonoperative Burns at American Burn Association-Verified Burn Centers

Nonfatal burn injuries are a leading cause of morbidity. However, among a variety of burn treatment options, there is no standard of care for the nonoperative management of burns that do not require excision and skin grafting. This study aims to identify the most frequently used agents for nonoperative burns in the United States. A survey related to nonoperative burns management was sent to 64 directors of American Burn Association (ABA)-verified burn centers. A total of 51.6% (n = 33) directors of ABA-verified burn centers responded to the survey, reporting their most used agents for nonoperative superficial, superficial partial-thickness, deep partial-thickness, and full-thickness burns. Preferences varied by burn depth. For superficial burns, the top choice agents identified were Aquaphor (n = 20; 60.6%), Eucerin (n = 16; 48.5%), and antimicrobial ointments such as bacitracin, neomycin, or polymyxin (n = 8; 24.2%). For superficial partial-thickness burns, antimicrobial ointments (n = 27; 81.8%) and Mepilex Ag (n = 19; 57.6%) were the preferred agents. The preferred agents for deep partial-thickness burns were antimicrobial ointments (n = 18; 54.5%), Mepilex Ag (n = 15; 45.5%), and chemical debridement agents such as Santyl, Xenaderm, or Granulex (n = 13; 39.4%). The preferred agents for full-thickness burns were silver sulfadiazine cream 1% (n = 15; 45.5%), chemical debridement agents (n = 8; 24.2%), and antimicrobial ointments (n = 6; 18.2%).