A study of silver sulfadiazine in burn wound dressings in the management of burn injuries

Context: Local wound care is a crucial aspect in burn care of patients. Prevention of infection plays an important role in reducing mortality and morbidity. The efficacy of topical medication and its toxicities are well documented. Silver sulfadiazine (SSD) is cheaper and has good wound healing properties and plays a role in the prevention of infection. This study deals with the efficacy of SSD on burn wound healing in partial-thickness burn injuries at a remarkably reduced cost. Aims: This study is focused to evaluate the efficacy, safety, cost-effectiveness, and tolerance of SSD in burn wound care (a) To study the efficacy and safety of SSD on partial-thickness burns (b). The efficacy of SSD on wound healing and prevention of infection and (c). To assess the cost reduction achieved using SSD. Settings and Design: Tertiary care hospital, urban setting, and cross-sectional study. Subjects and Methods: (a) The study was done from January 2020 to March 2022 (b) 35 patients with thermal burns were included. (c) The patients were admitted/SSD was used for topical application and the wound was covered with dressings (d) Dressings were changed once in 48 h and the progress in wound healing was assessed. (e) Wound swabs were taken once in 72 h. (f) The patients were followed up at the outpatient department following their discharge till complete wound healing and rehabilitation. Statistical Analysis Used: Chi-square test and nonparametric Mann–Whitney U -test were used. P ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: (a) The wound healing was within the specified time without delay or onset of infection and patients had no toxicity related to SSD. (b) The cost was considerably reduced compared to the latest dressing materials available in the market. (c) Quality of life, rehabilitation, and the scar quality indices were within the normal parameters. Conclusions: Serum lactate levels can help to monitor the adequacy of fluid resuscitation in burns. Serum lactate and urine output should be taken into consideration to determine the end point of resuscitation. The minor differences in antibacterial activity between SSD and the new products did not seem to have any influence on the rate of wound healing. Rapid wound closure is essential to obtain an optimal functional and esthetic outcome. It was concluded from the results of this systemic review that the standard use of SSD in the conservative treatment of burn wounds may be limited to superficial with total body surface area of up to 20%.