The effect of Travase on heat-injured skin.

When applied topically and compared to its placebo experimentally in guinea pigs, Travase was associated with no damage to the epithelium of normal skin, slight damage to that of mechanically injuried (donor-site) skin, and total destruction of all the epithelium in skin subjected to severe but otherwise reversible burn injury. While not preventing this destruction of heat-injured epithelium by Travase, simultaneous use of topical silver sulfadiazine cream did reduce the weight loss and purulence associated with Travase therapy of burns. To evaluate the safety of any form of topical burn therapy satisfactorily, preclinical testing should consider its effects on (1) uninjured skin, (2) skin reversibly injured by heat, and (3) skin immediately coagulated (irreversibly injured) by heat.