Comparison between Topical Beta-Sitosterol and Topical Hirudin in Management of Facial Burns

Background: Facial burns are challenging, as the aestheticoutcome is as important as the functional. Topical interventionsare currently the cornerstone of treatment of facial burns.Although there is no gold standard agent for the treatment offacial burns, beta-sitosterol is the most commonly used as firstline agent.Recombinant hirudin is an agent derived from medicinalleech and it has anti-thrombotic action, which is thought tohave effect on facial burns healing.Objective: The objective of this study is to compare the effectof beta-sitosterol and hirudin in the management of facialburns regarding the pain, edema, healing time, and aestheticoutcome.Patients and Methods: A concurrent self-control open labelclinical trial was conducted on fifteen patients attending theburn unit at Suez Canal University Hospital with facial burns.Visual Analogue Scale for pain to time, edema, hospitalizationtime, healing time, scarring by the patient and observer scarassessment scale (POSAS) and final aesthetic outcome.Expected Outcome: In patients with facial burns, the useof topical hirudin will reduce pain and edema; enhance fasterhealing and less hospitalization time, less scarring and betterfinal aesthetic outcome.Conclusion: Topical hirudin use in facial burns is a safe andeffective option as it showed statistically significant results regardingwound healing and final scar quality outcome that wasbetter than topical beta-sitosterols. Although its effects regardingpain and edema showed no statically significant difference incomparison to topical beta-sitosterols, it should be considered asan effective safe option in the treatment of facial burns.