THE SURVIVAL OF HUMAN SKIN STORED BY REFRIGERATION AT 4-DEGREES-C IN MCCOYS 5A MEDIUM - DOES OXYGENATION OF THE MEDIUM IMPROVE STORAGE TIME

To establish the viable storage time of human skin stored by refrigera tion at 4 degrees C in McCoy's 5A medium and to establish whether oxyg enating the medium improves the viable storage time, the following exp eriment was conducted. Eighty discs of human split-thickness skin graf t, each 3 mm in diameter, were stored in 40 sterile sealable container s under four different conditions: in 0.9% saline, in McCoy's 5A mediu m, in oxygenated McCoy's 5A medium, and in carbon dioxide supplemented McCoy's 5A medium. Skin graft viablility was assessed using tissue cu lture. Skin stored in saline was viable for only 1 week, whereas skin stored in McCoy's 5A medium and in oxygenated McCoy's 5A medium was vi able for 4 weeks. Skin stored in carbon dioxide supplemented McCoy's 5 A solution did not even survive the first week. These findings show th at McCoy's 5A medium allows at least 4 weeks of viable human skin stor age by refrigeration at 4 degrees C. Furthermore, oxygenating the medi um does not seem to improve the viable storage time, and carbon dioxid e supplementation is detrimental. The advantages of skin storage by re frigeration and the implications of the above findings are discussed. A clinical case in which split-thickness skin was stored for approxima tely 5 weeks and still resulted in good graft take is quoted as an exa mple of our experience with the use of McCoy's 5A medium.