Topical therapy for facial burns
- Report By: Rosemary Morton - Consultant in Emergency Medicine
- Search checked by Dhurga Gnanasegaram, Kerstin Hogg - Specialist Registrars in Emergency Medicine
- Institution: Manchester Royal Infirmary
- Current web editor: Steve Jones - Consultant
- Date Submitted: 1st March 2000
- Last Modified: 20th September 2004
-
Status:
Yellow (Internal BestBET edit)
Three Part Question
In [patients with facial burns or scalds] what [topical therapy should be used] to [maximise healing]?Clinical Scenario
A small child attends the Emergency department's minor injuries unit having sustained superficial scalds to his face. His mother was drinking a cup of hot tea which overturned on the child sitting in her lap. You wonder what topical agent (if any) to apply to these injuries.Search Strategy
Medline 1966-week 3/09/04 using the Ovid interface.[exp burns OR exp burns, chemical OR exp burns, electric OR burn$.mp OR scald$.mp] AND [exp face OR face.mp OR facial.mp] AND [exp administration, topical OR treatment.mp OR exp therapeutics OR therap$.mp] LIMIT to human AND English language.
Search Outcome
Altogether 522 papers were found of which 1 was relevant.Relevant Paper(s)
| Author, date and country | Patient group | Study type (level of evidence) | Outcomes | Key results | Study Weaknesses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ang ES et al, 2000, Singapore | Subgroup analysis of a study randomising burns patients to receiving moist exposed burns ointment - MEBO (58) and silver sulphadiazine control (57) | PRCT | Number of days to healing | 14/15 in MEBO group healed by day 10 17/19 in control group healed by day 10 | Subgroup analysis of larger study Very small cohort Of the 39 facial burns, 2 died and 3 were discharged early and not followed up No details of how wound healing was measured as an outcome |
Comment(s)
The authors found no other paper addressing the outcome of topical therapy in facial burns, and in particular no study comparing no topical application to topical application.Editor Comment
currently with original author for updating 03/06/04Clinical Bottom Line
There is no evidence to guide the topical therapy of facial burns.References
- Ang ES, Lee ST, Gan CS, et al. The role of alternative therapy in the management of partial thickness burns of the face - experience with the use of moist exposed burn ointment (MEBO) compared with silver sulphadiazine Annals of the Academy of Medicine 2000;29(1):7-10.