Healing of experimentally induced burn wounds. A comparative study of the healing of exposed burn wounds and burn wounds covered with adhesive zinc-tape and a scanning electron microscopic study of the microvasculature of wound healing in the rabbit ear

The Efficacy of Five Different Wound Dressings on Some Histological Parameters in Children With Partial-Thickness Burns

An ideal dressing should ensure that the wound remains moist with exudates but not macerated. Currently, there is no dressing available to suit all wounds, at all stages of the healing process. Although silver-containing dressings are the gold standard for burn wound care, few high-level trials have been completed comparing the clinical utilities of these dressings. In our study, five different types of wound dressings: carboxymethyl cellulose hydrofiber dressing with ionized silver (CMCH-Ag), polyethylene-polyethylene terephthalate aqua fiber dressing with elementary silver (PPAF-Ag), calcium alginate (CA), calcium + zinc alginate (CZA), and 0.2% nitrofurazone-embedded (NF) gauze dressings were compared in regard to histopathological parameters. Children aged between 0 and 18 years with small or middle-sized partial-thickness burns that affected less than 30% of the total body surface area were included in this study. The study groups (CMCH-Ag, PPAF-Ag, CA, and CZA) and the control group (NF) were randomly attained. Wound healing was evaluated by punch biopsies on the 21st day. The thickness of the stratum corneum and the epithelium, the number of papillae, and the papillary length were calculated and compared. The histological parameters of healing, except the stratum corneum thickness, did not show any statistical significance among the groups (P > .05). The dressings that included silver, calcium, or zinc showed useful and similar effects in noninfective burn wounds when compared with nitrofurazone-only dressings. Thus, it may be concluded that silver-containing wound dressings should not be considered as the gold standard in noninfective partial-thickness burn wounds in children.

Enhancing Skin Health: By Oral Administration of Natural Compounds and Minerals with Implications to the Dermal Microbiome

The history of cosmetics goes back to early Egyptian times for hygiene and health benefits while the history of topical applications that provide a medicinal treatment to combat dermal aging is relatively new. For example, the term cosmeceutical was first coined by Albert Kligman in 1984 to describe topical products that afford both cosmetic and therapeutic benefits. However, beauty comes from the inside. Therefore, for some time scientists have considered how nutrition reflects healthy skin and the aging process. The more recent link between nutrition and skin aging began in earnest around the year 2000 with the demonstrated increase in peer-reviewed scientific journal reports on this topic that included biochemical and molecular mechanisms of action. Thus, the application of: (a) topical administration from outside into the skin and (b) inside by oral consumption of nutritionals to the outer skin layers is now common place and many journal reports exhibit significant improvement for both on a variety of dermal parameters. Therefore, this review covers, where applicable, the history, chemical structure, and sources such as biological and biomedical properties in the skin along with animal and clinical data on the oral applications of: (a) collagen, (b) ceramide, (c) β-carotene, (d) astaxanthin, (e) coenzyme Q10, (f) colostrum, (g) zinc, and (h) selenium in their mode of action or function in improving dermal health by various quantified endpoints. Lastly, the importance of the human skin microbiome is briefly discussed in reference to the genomics, measurement, and factors influencing its expression and how it may alter the immune system, various dermal disorders, and potentially be involved in chemoprevention.

Effectiveness of topical zinc oxide application on hypertrophic scar development in rabbits

BACKGROUND

The etiology, biology, prevention and effective treatment of hypertrophic scars have not exactly been defined. Topical zinc oxide application was shown to be effective in the treatment of proliferative scars. We studied the effectiveness of topical zinc oxide ointment in the prevention of hypertrophic scar development by using the rabbit ear hypertrophic scar model.

METHODS

Circular full-thickness skin excisions were performed on both ears of 10 rabbits. The rabbits were divided into two groups and topical 40% zinc oxide ointment was applied daily to one ear and the ointment base was applied as placebo to the other ear. Scar samples were taken in the 3rd week in group 1 and in the 6th week in group 2. All of the specimens were divided into two halves: one half for histopathologic/histomorphometric examinations and the other half for biochemical studies.

RESULTS

Application of topical zinc oxide ointment decreased clinical scar hypertrophy scores significantly (p=0.017) at 6th week in comparison with placebo. Topical zinc oxide also reduced nodule formation histopathologically at 6th week in comparison with placebo but this was not significant statistically (p>0.05).

CONCLUSION

The findings of this study may have clinical implications on the management of human hypertrophic scars.

Antibiotic iontophoresis in the treatment of burn perichondritis of the rabbit ear

Perichondritis of the pinna is a serious late infection of burns involving the ear. The avascular nature of this injury renders systemic antibiotic therapy ineffective in delivering adequate levels of drug to the area to provide antimicrobial activity. Treatment has traditionally been surgery in some form, resulting in further disfigurement of the damaged cartilagenous framework. Iontophoresis, a method of dispersing charged particles through a relatively impermeable membrane by a light electrical field, appears to be a feasible method of antibiotic delivery. This initial pilot study investigated the development of perichondritic-like burns in ten rabbit ears, and techniques for gentamicin iontophoresis and assay in devitalized cartilage. Five rabbits, with ear burns simulating perichondritis, were treated with gentamicin iontophoresis on one ear and gentamicin-soaked gauze on the other. Resulting assays of the ear cartilages, after four treatments over a 2-day period, demonstrated a nearly twenty-fold increase in gentamicin levels in the iontophoresis-treated ears, compared to low levels in the soaked ears. Systemic absorption was negligible in all rabbits.

Microcirculation in hypertrophic burn scars

Using the technique of capillary microscopy the microcirculation of post burn hypertrophic scars and grafts, at varying stages of maturity, have been documented. Sympathetic innervation of larger vessels beneath and within the scarred tissues could be found only in fully-matured scars, suggesting a link between the processes of scar reinnervation and maturation.

Treatment of fingertip amputations with bone exposure. A comparative study between surgical and conservative treatment methods

The long-term results following 36 surgically and 34 conservatively treated fingertip amputations with bone exposure are presented in a retrospective study. Surgery did not produce better results even though it was performed by skilled hand surgeons. The advantages of the conservative (mainly adhesive zinc tape) treatment method are pointed out. The regenerative capacity of the amputated fingertip is shown and discussed.

Zinc tape treatment of burns infected by Pseudomonas aeruginosa: an experimental study on guinea pigs

Third-degree burns on guinea pigs were infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The wounds were treated with a zinc tape, a gauze sponge, or a plastic foil. In tissue specimens from the wounds, less growth of Pseudomonas was found in zinc tape treated wounds than in gauze- or plastic foil treated wounds. In vitro it was found that zinc oxide possesses an antibacterial effect on Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes.