Biomedical applications of tannic acid

Tannic Acid (TA) is a naturally occurring antioxidant polyphenol that has gained popularity over the past decade in the field of biomedical research for its unique biochemical properties. Tannic acid, typically extracted from oak tree galls, has been used in many important historical applications. TA is a key component in vegetable tanning of leather, iron gall ink, red wines, and as a traditional medicine to treat a variety of maladies. The basis of TA utility is derived from its many hydroxyl groups and its affinity for forming hydrogen bonds with proteins and other biomolecules. Today, the study of TA has led to the development of many new pharmaceutical and biomedical applications. TA has been shown to reduce inflammation as an antioxidant, act as an antibiotic in common pathogenic bacterium, and induce apoptosis in several cancer types. TA has also displayed antiviral and antifungal activity. At certain concentrations, TA can be used to treat gastrointestinal disorders such as hemorrhoids and diarrhea, severe burns, and protect against neurodegenerative diseases. TA has also been utilized in biomaterials research as a natural crosslinking agent to improve mechanical properties of natural and synthetic hydrogels and polymers, while also imparting anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and anticancer activity to the materials. TA has also been used to develop thin film coatings and nanoparticles for drug delivery. In all, TA is fascinating molecule with a wide variety of potential uses in pharmaceuticals, biomaterials applications, and drug delivery strategies.

The Effective Management and Outcome of Hand Burns

Burns is a common public health problem and these injuries can be accidental, suicidal or even homicidal in nature. Hands being the most active part of the body, are often involved in burns. Hand burns represent three percent of body surface area, and are involved in more than 80% of all severe burns. Hand burns predominantly affect young adults and therefore have serious social and financial implications. The hand is one of the most frequent sites of burns scar contracture deformity. The deformities and contractures result in lifelong physical problems and affects the normal functioning of the person.

Experience of using a thrombofibrin clot of plateletrich plasma in ulcerative lesions of the cornea

Purpose: to study the effectiveness of the use of thrombofibrin clot of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in patients with corneal ulcers. Material and methods. A clinical study, conducted by the Department of Traumatology and Reconstructive Surgery of Helmholtz National Medical Research Center of Eye Diseases, involved 20 patients, aged from 22 to 82, with corneal ulcers of inflammatory and burn genesis more than 100 microns deep. All patients got coated with a thrombofibrin PRP clot from autologous blood. Prior to the study, all patients received standard treatment for 2 weeks to 3 months, including multiple amniotic membrane coating, with no effect. The thrombofibrin clot was produced by the Scientific Department of Biotechnology and Transfusiology of the N.V. Sklifosovsky Research Institute for Emergency Medicine. The ready clot was placed on the surface of the cornea and covered with an amniotic membrane. The membrane was fixed to the episclera along the border of the limb with a circular suture, whereupon autologous serum was injected along the limb in 4 quadrants, to be followed by temporary lateral blepharography. Results. On the 2nd day following the procedure, the patients noted a decrease in lacrimation and pain in the operated eye. As shown by optical coherence tomography, the average depth of the corneal ulcer at the beginning of the study in all patients was 129 ± 28.5 microns. On the 5th day, the depth lowered to an average of 71 ± 32.6 microns, and on the 10th day, to 23.3 ± 15.1 microns. In 7 patients (35%), complete healing of the defect was observed on the 15th day, while in 9 patients (45%) it was stated between the 16th and the 20th day. Thus, the average time of healing of the ulcer with complete epithelization occurred was 15 days. In four patients with the consequences of severe burns (20%), the ulcer did not heal due to extensive damage to the limbal zone. Conclusion. The use of a thrombofibrin PRP clot in combination with amniotic membrane transplantation allows achieving a stable and fairly rapid healing of corneal ulcers of various origins. However, this method is ineffective in patients with limbal cell insufficiency, severe burns and extensive damage to the limbal zone. In such cases, it is advisable to use more radical surgical methods, such as buccal or limbal cell transplantation, or allolimbal transplantation.

The use of chitosan as a skin-regeneration agent in burns injuries: A review

Chitosan is an amino-polysaccharide, traditionally obtained by the partial deacetylation of chitin from exoskeletons of crustaceans. Properties such as biocompatibility, hemostasis, and the ability to absorb physiological fluids are attributed to this biopolymer. Chitosan’s biological properties are regulated by its origin, polymerization degree, and molecular weight. In addition, it possesses antibacterial and antifungal activities. It also has been used to prepare films, hydrogels, coatings, nanofibers, and absorbent sponges, all utilized for the healing of skin wounds. In in vivo studies with second-degree burns, healing has been achieved in at least 80% of the cases between the ninth and twelfth day of treatment with chitosan coatings. The crucial steps in the treatment of severe burns are the early excision of damaged tissue and adequate coverage to minimize the risk of infection. So far, partial-thickness autografting is considered the gold standard for the treatment of full-thickness burns. However, the limitations of donor sites have led to the development of skin substitutes. Therefore, the need for an appropriate dermal equivalent that functions as a regeneration template for the growth and deposition of new skin tissue has been recognized. This review describes the properties of chitosan that validate its potential in the treatment of skin burns.

Occupational Burn Injuries in Finland 2011-2015

IntroductionThis study comprises all hospitalized work related burn injuries in one country during 2011-2015. The purpose was to describe demographics, causes and risk factors of occupational burn injuries with special focus on the outcome of return to work. Material and methodsThis is a retrospective study on two data sources of which Finnish Workers’ Compensation Center´s (FWCC) register includes all work-related burn cases at a given time. Additional data has been obtained from those patients, who were referred to the National Burn Centre (NBC) during the same time according to the Emergency Management of Severe Burns (EMSB) criteria. We compare demographics, injury mechanisms and general burn data of these two patient groups. ResultsBased on FWCC register, in 2011-2015 occurred 11623 work related burn cases of whom 54% were men. During the study period NBC admitted 26 patients fulfilling EMSB criteria. The most severe patients treated in NBC had injuries affecting multiple body parts. In FWCC data hand was most injured body part. Kitchen/bakery work was the most common profession in FWCC register but in NBC material industrial and transport professions dominated. In FWCC register patients had lower mean age (37 years vs. 43 years). Most severe injuries occurred among older patients: in NBC data those with total body surface area 40% or over had mean age 53 years. Majority of patients returned to work. ConclusionSafety at work in Finland is good and the vast majority of work-related burn injuries are minor. Young adults working in kitchen and bakery work are susceptible to minor burn injuries whereas, unexpectedly, elderly men working in transports and industry sustain most severe burn accidents. Retirement after work related injury becomes very expensive for all parties and this data can be used in preventing those cases as well as the minor accidents.

Efficacy of two-stage Meek micrografting in patients with severe burns

Background Burns are common injuries associated with high disability and mortality. In recent years, Meek micrografting technique has been gradually applied for the wound treatment of severe burns. However, the efficacy of two-stage Meek micrografting in patients with severe burns keeps unclear. Methods The data of eligible patients with severe burns who were admitted to Southwest Hospital of the Third Military Medical University from January 2013 to December 2019 were retrospectively analysed. The patients were divided into two groups according to the Meek micrografting method: one-stage skin grafting (group A) and two-stage skin grafting (group B). The baseline data, survival rate of skin graft, length of hospital stay, treatment costs, laboratory data and cumulative survival were statistically analysed. Results 127 patients (91 in group A and 36 in group B) were included in the study. There were no significant difference in the baseline data, the length of hospital stay and treatment costs between the two groups. The survival rate of skin graft was higher in group B. Total protein and albumin level, platelet count in group B were superior to those in group A, while there were no difference in other laboratory data (prealbumin, serum creatinine, urea nitrogen, cystatin C, blood cultures, wound exudate cultures) and cumulative survival between the two groups. Conclusion Our results demonstrated that staged Meek micrografting could improve the survival rate of skin graft, by reducing the risks of hypoproteinaemia, hypoalbuminemia and low platelet counts after adequate resuscitation.

Hepatic functional pathophysiology and morphological damage following severe burns: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction Severe burns are devastating injuries affecting multiple organ systems. Little is known about the influence on the hepatic system and its physiology. This systematic review aimed to assess the current state of research on morphologic liver damage following severe burns. Methods A search was conducted in Pubmed, Web of Science and Cochrane databases using PRISMA guidelines. Outcomes included serum levels of transaminases, fatty infiltration and necrosis. Weighted individual study estimates were used to calculate pooled transaminase levels and necrosis/fatty infiltration rates using a random-effects approach. Risk ratios (RRs) or Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to describe pooled estimates for risk factors. Results The literature search retrieved 2548 hits, of which 59 studies were included into qualitative synthesis, and finally ten studies were included into meta-analysis. Studies were divided into those reporting autopsies and those reporting changes of serum transaminase levels. The majority of liver autopsies showed fatty infiltration 82% (95% CI39%-97%) or necrosis of the liver 18% (95% CI13%-24%). Discussion Heterogeneity in studies on hepatic functional damage following severe burns was high. Only few were well-designed and published in recent years. Many studies could not be included because of insufficient numerical data. There is a high number of patients deceasing from burns that present with fatty infiltration or necrosis of hepatic tissue. Transaminases were elevated during the first days after burn. Further research on how severe burns affect the hepatic function and outcome, especially long-term, is necessary.

Rehabilitation program for acute poisoning in a toxicological hospital

BACKGROUND: Diagnostics and treatment of acute poisoning, as well as the rehabilitation measures carried out in relation to them, including the stationary stage, are aimed at the most complete restoration of the lost capabilities of the body. AIMS: Increasing the efficiency of medical rehabilitation of acute poisoning (AP) in a toxicological hospital through a combination of drug therapy and non-drug treatment with preformed physical factors. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Of 1,207 patients with AP psychopharmacological agents (pPFA), neurotoxicants (pNT), cauterizing agents (pCA) and snake bites (SB), who were in the toxicology department of the N.V. Sklifosovsky, 421 patients with an unfavorable course of AP were subjected to an in-depth examination. Intravenous laser hemotherapy (LGT), hyperbaric oxygenation (HBO), mesodiencephalic modulation (MDM), wave biomechanotherapy (WBMT) and ethylmethylhydroxypyridine succinate (EP) were used in cases of 291 patients of the main groups. RESULTS: The unfavorable course of AP was accompanied by an increase in the duration of treatment by 2.26.8 times due to the addition of pneumonia (pPFA), toxicohypoxic encephalopathy (pNT), severe burns of the gastrointestinal tract (pCA) and local edematous-inflammatory changes (SB). There was a syndrome of high blood viscosity and moderate endotoxicosis. The best clinical and laboratory results were obtained with a combination of LHT (90 minutes) with EP (pPFA), HBO and EP (pCA), HBO, MDM, EP (heavy pNT), HBO, EP (moderate pNT) and WBMT (SB). The adaptive capabilities of the organism, the state of the autonomic nervous system (pNT), neuropsychological indicators and electrical activity of the brain (pNT) improved. CONCLUSION: Programmed rehabilitation made it possible to achieve a noticeable reduction in the incidence of symptoms of the studied poisoning (by 54.693.4%), the time to resolve their manifestations (by 9.175%), as well as inpatient treatment (by 16.159.3%), improving functional performance.