Background: Burn is a complex disease process; visible disfigurement caused by burns translates into an altered pattern of socialization which can have serious psychological ramifications.
Objectives: The aim of this work was to evaluate the efficacy of topical heparin on the treatment of facial burn regarding pain relief, antibiotic requirements and healing time.
Patients and Methods: This is a prospective controlled random study. That included 40 patients, 15-60 years of age, males and females having acute thermal burn up to 20% TBSA including the face, They were subjected either to dressing with topical heparin or topical anti-microbial creams. This study was done at the burn unit and clinic of the department of plastic and Burn surgery at Al-Azhar University Hospitals and El Salalm Specialized Hospital.
Results: The use of heparin in burns has been shown to maintain blood circulation, relieve pain, limit inflammation, re-vascularize ischemic tissue, enhance granulation, regulate collagen, and reduce scarring and contractures. The patients dressed with topical heparin suffered less pain and required less analgesics and fewer antibiotics, no-hard dressings, and less secondary procedures; early returned home and work with little psychological ramifications, costs also were lower than in the control group.
Conclusion: Our study showed that in patients with facial burns of thermal etiology, the use of topical heparin significantly reduces pain and edema, enhances faster healing and epithelialization and requires less antibiotics