The Use of Close Relative Allo-Graft Intermingled with Auto-Graft for the Management of Extensive Burn Injury

Major burn injury management represents a difficult issueespecially in developing countries. Skin auto-grafts is the bestnatural skin substitute for replacing burned skin but its rarityin major burns patients stand as an obstacle to be used. Earlydeep burn wounds excision and coverage of wounds morethan 30% of body surface area is the main strategy for woundmanagement in massive burns yet with the absence of skinbanks (skin allo-grafts) and expensive artificial skin substitute'scoverage of raw wounds by these methods is not applicablein Egypt. In this study, we try to evaluate the benefits to useboth minimal sheets of auto-grafts covered by enough sheetsof allo-grafts to cover all raw area after excision. Using freshskin allo-grafts obtained from 1st degree relative of patientsas natural skin substitute. The auto-grafts are meshed 1 to 6and fixed directly on raw areas while allo-grafts are meshed1 to 2 and cover both auto-grafts and raw areas, noting thatallo-grafts considered as temporary skin. Follow-up the clinicalchanging of these grafts and histopathologically analysis. Outof the 30 patients 8 had died, 10 patients needed other operationswhile 12 had healed with no more procedures.