Background: Facial burns are challenging, as the aesthetic
outcome is as important as the functional. Topical interventions
are currently the cornerstone of treatment of facial burns.
Although there is no gold standard agent for the treatment of
facial burns, beta-sitosterol is the most commonly used as first
line agent.
Recombinant hirudin is an agent derived from medicinal
leech and it has anti-thrombotic action, which is thought to
have effect on facial burns healing.
Objective: The objective of this study is to compare the effect
of beta-sitosterol and hirudin in the management of facial
burns regarding the pain, edema, healing time, and aesthetic
outcome.
Patients and Methods: A concurrent self-control open label
clinical trial was conducted on fifteen patients attending the
burn unit at Suez Canal University Hospital with facial burns.
Visual Analogue Scale for pain to time, edema, hospitalization
time, healing time, scarring by the patient and observer scar
assessment scale (POSAS) and final aesthetic outcome.
Expected Outcome: In patients with facial burns, the use
of topical hirudin will reduce pain and edema; enhance faster
healing and less hospitalization time, less scarring and better
final aesthetic outcome.
Conclusion: Topical hirudin use in facial burns is a safe and
effective option as it showed statistically significant results regarding
wound healing and final scar quality outcome that was
better than topical beta-sitosterols. Although its effects regarding
pain and edema showed no statically significant difference in
comparison to topical beta-sitosterols, it should be considered as
an effective safe option in the treatment of facial burns.