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ntroduction:In the treatment of patients with severe burns, it is a matter of urgency to achieve definitive and total wound closure in order to avoid the metabolic abnormalities and septic complications of an open wound. In the absence of autologous skin, allograft skin is the best alternative for wound coverage. The purpose of this study was to evaluate survival of allograft in major burn injuries.
Materials and Methods:This cross- sectional descriptive study, carried out from 2004 to 2006 on seventeen female patients with severe burns, ranged from 60% to 90% total body surface area in Imam Reza Burn Center. Allograft was used for wound coverage from first degree relatives, and patients were followed up for six months. Data were recorded in a questionnaire and analyzed by descriptive statistics and frequency distribution tables.
Results: Twenty two allografts were used in the course of treatment of 17 severely burned patients. Five patients (29%) had two allografts and 12 patients (71%) had one allograft. In 9 patients (53%) rejection of transplanted skin was observed. In 3 cases (18%), rejection in one of the allografts was observed, while in 5 patients (29%) the total transplanted skin was rejected.
Conclusion: allograft is an effective alternative treatment to resurface major burns in case of limited auto skin graft donor site, and the percent age of rejection was much lower than the other studies.