The preclinical evaluation of the water vapour transmission rate through burn wound dressings.

The control of evaporative water loss, following burn injury, is of major importance to the overall condition of the patient, whether this control is by natural eschar or by a dressing. It is therefore important to preclinically determine the water vapour transmission rate of these dressings, firstly to make comparisons between different materials and secondly to screen prototype materials, under controlled conditions. A preclinical (in vitro) technique is described and the results are given for several commercially available dressings which encompass foam, film and hydrogel material categories.