Validity of laser speckle contrast imaging for the prediction of burn wound healing potential.

Abstract Objective To assess validity of Laser Speckle Contrast Imaging (LSCI) for the measurement of burn wound healing potential (HP) in a burn centre patient population, based on Laser Doppler Imaging (LDI) as reference standard. Method A single-centre prospective observational cohort study was performed between September-December 2019. A total of 50 burns in 14 patients were included. Imaging and data collection were standardized. Correlation between LSCI and LDI flux values was tested. ROC curves were developed to test the discriminative ability of LSCI between LDI HP categories. Results Number of adults and children were equal. Mean total body surface area burnt was 5.5%. Main burn causes were scalds (64%) and flame burns (36%). LSCI set-up and imaging duration was 3 minutes and 10 seconds, respectively. LSCI was able to discriminate between wounds with early versus delayed HP ( 21 days, similar sensitivity (74%) and specificity (95%) were found (p  21 days). Conclusion LSCI shows good validity for the prediction of burn wound HP. It is a highly feasible, patient and physician friendly tool.