A comparative study of the effect of Hippophae Rhamnoides ointment and silver sulfadiazine ointment on burn healing period: A triple-blind randomized clinical trial

Burns are amongst severe traumas that cause disability, death, and mental illness, as well as high medical costs. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of Hippophae-rhamnoides ointment and silver-sulfadiazine ointment 1% on the healing period of second-degree burns.

In this triple-blind clinical trial, which was performed in 2016 in Imam Musa Kazem Burn and Accidents Clinic in Isfahan, fifty-five patients with one to ten percent second-degree burns, were selected using the convenience sampling method and were randomly divided into Hippophae-rhamnoides and silver sulfadiazine groups using blocked randomization with blocks of size 4. Hippophae-rhamnoides group were treated with Hippophae-rhamnoides ointment and silver sulfadiazine group with silver sulfadiazine ointment 1% daily until their burns healed completely. The wound healing period was measured in both groups using the standard burn healing checklist. Data was analyzed using the SPSS software version 20.

Data analysis showed that the healing period of second-degree burn wound in the group treated with Hippophae-rhamnoides ointment was 6.71±2.11 days and in the group treated with silver sulfadiazine ointment was 11.22±2.31 days and there was a significant difference in wound healing period between the two groups (P<0.001).

The results showed that Hippophae-rhamnoides ointment reduces the healing period of second-degree burns compared to silver sulfadiazine 1% by accelerating the healing process. Therefore, alternatively using Hippophae-rhamnoides ointment by care providers can reduce the burden of caring for patients with second-degree burns.