Treatment for Full-Thickness Non-Healing Burn Wound

David Humphrey, MD
HCA Mission Hospital, Asheville, NC

Patient Presentation

A 43-year-old woman presented in Jan 2017 with a stalled full-thickness burn wound. The patient had no comorbidities.

Failed Therapy

  • Silvadene®
  • Antibiotics
  • Iodoflex®
  • Silver foam
  • Compression
  • Wound remained non-healing for 35 days

Treatment

  • Microlyte® was applied at weekly evaluations for 12 weeks
  • The wound did not require debridement during weekly evaluations
  • Microlyte® was covered with gauze
  • Neither oral or topical antibiotics were administered

Clinical Outcome

The initial size of the stalled full-thickness burn wound was 24.1 cm2. After a single Microlyte® treatment, the wound was reduced in size by 16%. Additional weekly treatments with Microlyte® resulted in steady closure of the previously-stalled wound, until complete closure was achieved by the 11-week evaluation.

Conclusion

Faster and more complete closure of a chronical wound resulting from full-thickness burn trauma was achieved by application of Microlyte® than was achievable with other failed therapies. Microlyte® applied weekly was associated with a positive outcome. This patient avoided a costly skin-grafting procedure over a full-thickness burn wound, including an extended hospital stay and a potentially painful donor site.

Figure 1: Accelerated wound healing in stalled burn wound. Microlyte® was applied to wound after 35 days non-healing (A). After four weeks (B), the wound had closed by 53%. At eight weeks treatment, the wound was closed 85% (C). By 11 weeks treatment, complete (100%) wound closure was achieved (D). Upon application of Microlyte®, the previously-stalled wound procced to complete closure at a steady pace (E).

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