Early excision and grafting changed dramatically topical wound treatment, but are restricted by difficulty in diag- nosing burn depth, by limited donor sites and by technical skills to excise special areas (perineum, face). In addi- tion to the extent of burn and the age of the patient the depth is determinant of mortality, morbidity and of patient's quality of life. It results from the time-temperature relation and is further influenced by local and systemic causes of conversion: dehydration, edema, infection and shock hypoxia, metabolic derangements, peripheral ves- sels diseases may contribute do deepening of burn wound. Superficial burn on day one appears deep dermal by day three, where spontaneous epithelization lasts much longer than 21 days and results in hypertrophic scarring. To prevent this sequelae deep dermal burn may be treated like full-thickness injury with excision and autografting. Another way is removal of dead layers of corium and using biological or synthetic cover. We have found a more effective way to reach wound closure (not only cover) in the method of „upside-down” application of recombined human/pig skin (RHPS), composed of allogeneic human keratinocytes cultured on cell-free pig dermis. The allo- geneic epidermal cells temporarily „take”, „close” the excised wound and simultaneously encourage epithelization from adnexa remnants in the wound bed. Thus definitive closure is achieved.

Institute for Postgraduate Medical Education Prague

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Souhrn: decs