Reduced Mortality with Use of Point of Care Cell Suspension Autograft

Cell suspension autograft (CSA) is a non-cultured, autologous cellular suspension used in partial-thickness burns or as an adjunct to widely meshed split-thickness skin grafts (STSGs). While CSA has been shown to improve patient outcomes in burn care, literature is limited in highlighting its impact on mortality when used in combination with STSG. This retrospective, matched, case-control study investigates the clinical efficacy of CSA in adult patients with burn injuries admitted to a regional burn center from 2015 to 2023. Patients treated with CSA and STSG (n = 63, "CSA-treated") were compared against patients treated with STSG alone (n = 126, "non-CSA-treated"). Non-CSA-treated patients were matched in a 2:1 fashion to CSA-treated patients based on third-degree burned TBSA and age. Outcomes included mortality, length of stay (LOS), intensive care unit LOS (ICU LOS), and number of procedures. Multivariate analyses revealed that CSA-treated patients had a significant reduction in mortality (P = .0445) and a 78.9% reduction in odds of death (OR: 0.211) compared to non-CSA-treated patients. Cell suspension autograft-treated patients displayed nonsignificant increases in LOS (P = .0670), ICU LOS (P = .0851), and number of procedures (P = .9084). Selection and chronology bias may partially account for the improved mortality in the CSA-treated group. The nonsignificant increases in LOS, ICU LOS, and number of procedures may be reflective of increased survivorship. These findings demonstrate that CSA enhances survival in patients with burn injuries when used with STSG, warranting further research to confirm these results.