Early Enzyme-Alginogel Treatment Improves Healing and Reduces Complications, Scarring, and Healthcare Burden in...

Pediatric mild-to-moderate burns require careful management in the early phase, yet evidence guiding optimal initial dressing selection remains limited. Although topical medications and specialized dressings are routinely used, a universally accepted standard of care is lacking.

We conducted a 1-year, real-world, retrospective, comparative, single-center study evaluating whether treatment with enzyme alginogel (Flaminal^®) or NaOCl 0.05% antiseptic in the first 24 h led to different outcomes in terms of healing time, lesion progression, complication occurrence, scar quality, and burden of care. Medical records of 80 children with mild-to-moderate burns (Total Body Surface Area < 15%) treated between January and December 2024 were analyzed.

Despite a higher proportion of deep burns, early treatment with enzyme alginogel was associated with a 6.17-day [95% Confidence Interval: 4.71-7.63 days] shorter healing time (p < 0.001), with no observed lesion worsening or need for early surgery. The complication rate was 14% in the enzyme alginogel group, while all patients receiving antiseptic dressing had at least one complication (p < 0.001). Patients treated with enzyme alginogel also showed better Vancouver Scar Score [2.95 points, 95% Confidence Interval: 2.33-3.23, p < 0.001] and fewer follow-up visits, supporting a direct relationship between healing time and scar outcomes, and suggesting a potential reduction in the burden of care.

Early management with alginogel favored healing, reduced complications, improved scar outcomes, and reduced burden of care in comparison to the initial treatment with NaOCl-based antiseptic dressings followed by treatment change when clinically indicated. Prospective, comparative, randomized studies are needed to confirm these findings.