Evaluation of Scarring in Pediatrics Burns

Abstract

Objective: Post-burn hypertrophic scar occurs in between 30 - 90 % of burn patients and its most common risk factor is prolonged inflammation at the wound site. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the healing time of scarring in Mongolian pediatric patients. Methods: We performed a prospective study of 20 pediatrics burns treated operatively and non-operatively at the National Burn Center in Ulaanbaatar from 2017 to April 2019. Scar assessment was performed by a senior burn therapist using the POSAS evaluation. Results: Overall rates of hypertrophic scarring were 28.2 %. Time to healing was the strongest predictor of developing hypertrophic scarring, and the earliest hypertrophic scar developed in a patient who healed after 8 days. The risk of hypertrophic scarring was multiplied by 1.13 for every additional day taken for the burn wound to heal. Conclusions: The risk of hypertrophic scarring increases with every day and, therefore, every effort should be made to get the wound healed as quickly as possible, even within the traditional 3-week period usually allowed for healing.