OBJECTIVE

To observe clinical effects of burn wounds treatment with bovine amnion and to screen the best method of preparing and storing of bovine amnion.

METHODS

From January 2004 to January 2005. We selected randomly 58 patients with superficial secondary wound, deep secondary wound, autografting area for removal of eschars and tangential excision, fetching skin area or residual burn wound . Using auto-control, every burn wound was divided into 3 parts and was treated with 3 dressings: bovine amnion dealt with by 0.1% chlorhexidine (group A), bovine amnion dealt with by 0.4% glutaraldehyde (group B) and vaseline gauze dressing (group C as control). The clinical effects were compared between different groups and the method of preparing and storing bovine amnion was evaluated.

RESULTS

The dressing texture of group A was softer than that of group B, and its flexibility was fine. The pre-treatment was not necessary for dressing in group A. When the dressing was used on burn wounds in groups A and B, pain was slight, but pain was obvious in group C; healing time in groups A and B was much less than that in group C, showing statistically significant difference (P<0.01). There was no statistically significant difference in healing time between groups A and B (P>0.05). The infection ratio of burn wound in deep secondary wound and residual burn wound of groups A and B is much lower than that of group C, showing statistically significant difference (P<0.05); in the other burn wounds there was no significant difference (P>0.05). There was no statistically significant difference between groups A and B (P> 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Bovine amnion could make benefit on burn wounds healing, reduce infection ratio of burn wounds, could be used on different kinds of burn wounds. The clinical effect between bovine amnion dealt with by glutaraldehyde and by chlorhexidine is similar. Whereas the latter is more easy to be popularized.