Treatment of partial thickness burns of the hand with the preshaped, semipermeable Procel Burn Cover: results of a multicentre study in the burn centres of Berlin, Duisburg and Munich.

The results of a prospective clinical study conducted in three German burn centres are reported. The subject of the evaluation was to show the effectiveness of a new, preshaped, semipermeable burn dressing that is resistant to fluids and bacteria but highly permeable to vapour. The dressing was used in conjunction with 1 per cent silver sulphadiazine cream in treating partial thickness burns of the hand. In 49 patients, 72 partial thickness burned hands were treated. The application proved to be very easy. The time for a dressing change was short (5-10 min). The duration of treatment was 13 days on average. Complications due to infections did not occur. Because of the semipermeable properties of the dressing material, skin macerations occurred in only a few instances (13 per cent) as a result of inappropriate cream application or extremely high exudation rates, and these did not adversely affect the healing process. Patients achieved the ability to perform activities of daily living early with positive results for the patients, the physician and the nursing team.