Butler P E, Eadie P A, Lawlor D, Edwards G, McHugh M
Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, St James's Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
Br J Plast Surg. 1993 Sep;46(6):523-4. doi: 10.1016/0007-1226(93)90229-5.
A prospective double blind controlled trial was carried out to examine the differences in post-operative split skin graft donor site pain between sites dressed with three differently treated types of dressing; a dry calcium alginate dressing (Kaltostat Britcair), a saline moistened Kaltostat dressing and a bupivacaine hydrochloride (0.5%) moistened Kaltostat dressing. There was a significant reduction in post-operative pain in the Kaltostat and bupivacaine group (group 3) at 24 and 48 h when compared to the other two groups (p < 0.04). There was no difference in ease of removal of dressings or the quality of wound healing on day 10 between the three groups. This study demonstrates a significant reduction in post-operative pain in bupivacaine soaked Kaltostat without reducing the beneficial effects of Kaltostat on donor site healing and we recommend its use in clinical practice.
