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Background: Paediatric second-degree burn injuries are a significant source of medical challenges to the population that may cause severe, lifelong complications. Currently, there are dozens of therapeutic modalities and we aimed to summarise their reported outcomes and determine their effectiveness, compared to the widely used silver sulphadiazine (SSD). Methods: We conducted the meta-analysis and systematic review of randomised controlled trials (RCTs), which investigated the performance of dressings in acute paediatric partial-thickness burns. The evaluated endpoints were time until wound closure, grafting and infection rate, number of dressing changes and length of hospitalisation. Results: Twenty-nine RCTs were included in the qualitative and 25 in the quantitative synthesis, but only three trials compared SSD directly to the same intervention (Biobrane). Data analysis showed a tendency for faster healing times and a reduced complication rate linked to biosynthetic, silver foam and amnion membrane dressings. A substantial difference was found between the number of dressing changes associated with less pain, narcosis and treatment duration. Conclusions: Considerable between-study heterogeneity was caused by the unequal depth subcategory ratio and surface area of the injuries; therefore, no significant difference was found in the main outcomes. Further research is necessary to establish the most effective treatment for these burns.

Zinc-hyaluronan-containing burn dressings have been associated with enhanced reepithelialization and low infection rates, although their effectiveness has not yet been investigated in pediatric facial thermal injuries. This single-arm, retrospective cohort study assessed the characteristics of 23 children (≤17-year-old) with facial superficial partial-thickness burns and the wound closure capabilities of the applied zinc-hyaluronan gel. Patients were admitted consecutively to the Pediatric Surgery Division in Pécs, Hungary, between 1 January 2016 and 15 October 2021. The mean age of the children was 6.2 years; 30.4% of them were younger than 1 year. An average of 3% total body surface was injured in the facial region and 47.8% of the patients had other areas damaged as well, most frequently the left upper limb (30.4%). The mean time until complete reepithelialization was 7.9 days and the children spent 2 days in the hospital. Wound cultures revealed normal bacterial growth in all cases and follow-up examinations found no hypertrophic scarring. In conclusion, pediatric facial superficial partial-thickness burns are prevalent during infancy and coincide with left upper limb injuries. Rapid wound closure and low complication rates are accountable for the moderate amount of hospitalization. These benefits, along with the gel’s ease of applicability and spontaneous separation, are linked to child-friendly burn care.

Deep partial and full-thickness burns require surgical treatment with autologous skin grafts after necrectomy, which is the generally accepted way to achieve permanent wound coverage. This study sought to examine the grafted and donor areas of children who underwent autologous skin transplantation, using two assessment scales to determine the severity of the scarring and the cosmetic outcome during long-term follow-up. At the Surgical Unit of the Department of Paediatrics of the University of Pécs, between 1 January 2015 and 31 December 2019, children who had been admitted consecutively and received autologous skin transplantation were analyzed. Twenty patients met the inclusion criteria in this retrospective cohort study. The authors assessed the results using the Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale (POSAS) and the Vancouver Scar Scale (VSS). There was a significant difference in how parents and examiners perceived the children’s scars. In the evaluation of the observer scale, the most critical variables for the area of skin grafted were relief and thickness. Besides color, relief was the worst clinical characteristic on the patient scale. However, when medical professionals evaluated the donor site, significantly better results were obtained compared to the transplanted area (average observer scale score: 1.4 and 2.35, p = 0.001; VSS: 0.85 vs. 2.60, p < 0.001), yet it was similar to the graft site in the parents’ opinion (Patient Scale: 2.95 and 4.45, p = 0.181).

Treatment of pediatric deep burns remains a challenge for healthcare personnel. After skin grafting, several treatment options are available, but comparative studies of the different options are scarce. Here, we compared the effectiveness of 2 postoperative dressings used to treat deep pediatric burns after split-thickness skin grafting.

Összefoglaló. Elektromos áram okozta égési sérülések gyermekkorban ritkán fordulnak elő, az összes égés mindössze 2–10%-át teszik ki. Nehézséget okozhat a sérülés valódi súlyosságának meghatározása a kicsiny ki- és bemeneti sebek miatt. Áramégések során a legtöbb esetben mély necrosis alakul ki. Ilyen sérülések esetén a bőr, a lágy részek, a csontok, illetve fiatal életkorban a növekedési zóna sérülésével is számolni kell, ami növekedési zavart és ezáltal másodlagos deformitásokat okozhat. Jelen esettanulmányunk célja az áramégés során létrejött gyermekkori kézujjsérülések ellátásának és késői szövődményeinek bemutatása. Egy 15 éves fiúgyermek izzócsere közben ráfogott egy vezetékre, ami a jobb mutatóujján égési sérülést okozott. Distalis interphalangealis ízülete felett volarisan 25 × 14 milliméter nagyságú bemeneti, dorsalisan a körömágy lateralis szélén 8 × 7 milliméteres kimeneti áramjegy volt látható fehér, necroticus sebalappal, mely III . fokú égési sérülésnek bizonyult. A mély égési sérülés miatt necrectomia, keresztlebeny-plasztika és az adóterület teljes vastagságú bőrrel végzett transzplantálása történt. A primer rekonstrukciót követően három héttel a lebeny leválasztására került sor. A nyomon követés során a mutatóujj körömperc-deviációja volt észlelhető. A röntgenvizsgálat a körömpercbázis ízfelszínét is érintő csonthiányt igazolt. Egy 2 éves leánygyermek szöggel nyúlt a konnektorba, emiatt hüvelykujján és tenyerén keletkezett égési sérülés. Interphalangealis ízülete felett dorsalisan és volarisan, valamint a hypothenar területén III. fokú égési sérülés volt látható. Necrectomiát követően a hüvelykujj ventralis bőrdefektusának zárása elforgatott lebennyel, a donorterület és a dorsalis bőrdefektus fedése teljes vastagságú bőrrel történt. A gyermek nyomon követése jelenleg is zajlik, rövid távon a csontérintettség okozta végperc-deviáció látható. A gyermekek hosszú távú nyomon követése szükséges a késői szövődmények felismerése és kezelése céljából. Orv Hetil. 2022; 163(14): 564–568. Summary. Pediatric electrical injuries are rare; they only constitute 2–10% of all burn causes. Determination of their actual severity may be challenging due to their small entry and exit wounds. Deep necrosis develops during electrical burns in most cases. These injuries can damage the skin, soft and bone tissues, and in children, the growth plate, which may cause secondary deformities. The objective of these case reports was the presentation of paediatric electrical finger injuries’ management and late-onset complications. A 15-year-old boy touched an electric wire while changing a lightbulb, which caused a burn injury on his right index finger. During the physical examination, a 25 × 14 mm, third-degree burn was identified volarly, above the distal interphalangeal joint as an entry wound, and an 8 × 7 mm exit site occurred dorsally at the nailbed’s lateral edge. Necrectomy and cross finger flap surgery were performed. The cross flap was separated three weeks after the primary reconstruction. Throughout the follow-up examinations, the ulnar deviation of the distal digit was observed. X-ray confirmed the bone atrophy of the distal phalanx base. A 2-year-old girl inserted a nail into the power outlet, causing third-degree burns on her thumb around the interphalangeal joint and hypothenar region. After necrectomy, the thumb’s skin defect was reconstructed with a rotated flap, while the donor site received full-thickness skin graft transplantation. The follow-up of the child is still ongoing. Long term follow-up of these patients is necessary to identify and treat late-onset complications. Orv Hetil. 2022; 163(14): 564–568.