Clinical Research Directory

Fluorescence-based Detection of Inflammation and Necrosis to Inform Surgical Decision-making and Enhance Outcomes

This study investigates fluorescence image-guided surgery to allow precise identification of necrotic tissue both preoperatively and intraoperatively in burn patients. Furthermore, it uses a multi-model approach to elucidate the localization of ICG in inflammation and necrosis to determine how this novel use of a well-known fluorescence marker can be optimized to aid in surgical decision making. This proposal will provide the necessary data to support the design of a larger clinical trial to study the feasibility and efficacy of this technology to improve the precision of necrosis detection and removal and improve wound healing outcomes. Up to 100 participants will be on study for up to approximately 24 days.

Post-Operative Use of FS2 to Mitigate Scarring in Burn Patients

The goal of this study is to see how an ingredient called kynurenic acid (which we named "FS2") affects scar formation in people with burn injuries that need skin graft surgery. A cream with FS2 will be used on both the area where the skin graft was placed and the area where the skin was taken (donor site). The cream will be applied after the skin has healed. This study will help us understand if FS2 is safe and effective for mitigating skin scar formation in burn patients.

Wound Healing Endpoint and Recurrence

This study is a continuation of a previously approved protocol conducted at Ohio State University and Indiana University. The first two aims of the original protocol have been completed, and this protocol will finish enrollment for the third aim, comparing Hi TEWL and Low TEWL measurements, and whether a HiTEWLmeasurement indicates a seemingly healed wound is more likely to recur/reopen toa new wound. Of the 105 desired subjects, 62 subjects have already been recruited and completed their study participation at the previous university. 43 additional subjects will be recruited to complete the enrollment goal here at the University of Pittsburgh.

Effect of Solutions Used in Burn Wound Irrigation on Healing, Pain, Fear and Anxiety: Randomized Controlled Study

Burn, skin and/or subcutaneous tissues; It is an acute injury that causes traumatic lesions by exposure to thermal, chemical, mechanical or electrical agents. Among all traumatic injuries, burns are the most common type of injury and affect the entire body system. The World Health Organization reports that approximately 180,00 deaths per year are due to burns, making it the fifth most common type of childhood injury. It is also stated that 80% of burned children have hot water burns. Treatment is in two ways: surgical and non-surgical. The type of burn, its size, depth and the individual characteristics of the child affect the type of treatment. Non-surgical treatment is always the first choice in burn treatment. The primary method of this method is burn dressings. Before dressing, the burn surface must be cleaned/irrigated with an appropriate antiseptic solution to remove metabolic wastes and tissue exudate. The aim here is to prepare a suitable environment for the burn wound to heal and to accelerate the healing process. In the literature, it is recommended to use various antiseptic solutions such as 0.9% NaCl, 0.5% chlorhexidine and hypochlorous acid for irrigation of burn wounds. Applying these solutions involves physical contact with the wound, and this contact may cause pain in the child. Additionally, the temperature and pH of the solution may cause discomfort. The pain that occurs during the irrigation process can further intensify anxiety and fear. However, it is not known which burn solutions used cause more pain, anxiety and fear. In this project, the effects of irrigation solutions used in the care of pediatric burn wounds on pain, fear, anxiety, infection development and healing will be examined. Child patients aged 5-10 years old with limb burns who present with hot water burns and do not have an indication for hospitalization will be included in the project. Children coming to burn dressing will be divided into three groups by simple randomization method. The burn wound of children in the first group will be irrigated with 0.09% NaCl, the children in the second group will be irrigated with 0.5% chlorhexidine, and the burn wound of children in the third group will be irrigated with hypochlorous acid solution. During irrigation of the burn wound, the child's anxiety, fear and pain status will be evaluated. At the same time, the effectiveness of the irrigation solutions used on the development of infection on the wound and its effectiveness on healing will be examined. For this reason, the burn wound will be monitored every three days. For this reason, children will be called to the burn clinic for dressing every three days. Before each dressing, a wound swab sample will be taken to determine the infection status in the burn wound. The Bates-Jensen wound assessment tool will be used to determine the healing status of the burn wound, and this tool will be evaluated by the burn nurse and two pediatric surgeons. In total, children will be monitored for 12 days. At the end of the project, the effect of the solutions used in burn irrigation on infection and healing will be determined. At the same time, the effects of the solutions on anxiety, fear and pain in children will be evaluated. It is thought that the data obtained as a result of the project will contribute to the development of a burn wound care protocol.

Virtual Reality Adjunct for Procedural Pain and Anxiety Management in Burn Wound Care

This randomized controlled trial is designed to evaluate the efficacy of immersive virtual reality (VR) as an adjunct to standard analgesia during dressing changes in adult burn patients. The study compares an intervention group receiving standard care combined with an immersive VR distraction (using a head-mounted display displaying an engaging virtual environment) versus a control group receiving standard care plus non-VR distraction (watching a nature video on a tablet). The primary outcomes include procedural pain intensity measured by the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and anxiety levels measured by the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Secondary outcomes include patient satisfaction and physiological parameters (heart rate and blood pressure) recorded during the procedure. This trial addresses the critical gap of heterogeneity and small sample sizes noted in previous VR studies for burn care pain management (Dascal et al., 2017).