Effect of Disposable Sterile Drapes on the Healing Time and Infection of Partial-Thickness Skin Donor Sites in Patients with burn Lesions in Selected Military Hospitals

Burns are among the most common problems that require a skin graft. The skin donor site has always been a difficult situation for both the patient and the treatment team. A proper dressing helps heal the wound and relieve numerous problems and complaints, such as pain or infection.

This study aimed to determine the effect of disposable sterile drapes on healing time and infection in partial-thickness donor sites in burn patients.

This one-group pretest-posttest clinical trial was conducted on burn patients (n=38) in 2020-2021. The samples were enrolled using a purposive sampling method and with informed consent. One or two skin removal areas on one limb area were placed on Vaseline gas and antibiotic ointment in the sterile drape intervention section and on Vaseline gas and antibiotic ointment in the control section. On the third, seventh, ninth, eleventh, thirteenth, fifteenth, seventeenth, nineteenth, and twenty-first days, the dressing condition was checked for variables.

The results of the independent t-test showed that the burn wound healed earlier in the intervention section (14.84±3.30 days) than in the control section (17±3.09 days) (P=0.005). The earliest times for complete healing in the intervention and control sections were found on the ninth and thirteenth days, respectively. Moreover, no infection or other side effects were seen in either the intervention or control sections.

Disposable sterile drapes used on Vaseline gas reduced the healing time of partial-thickness donor wounds compared to Vaseline gas applied to the skin site alone. The use of these cheap and probably complication-free dressings is recommended for burn patients. Additionally, further studies are recommended to compare these types of drapes with other dressings.