Topical use of Sucralfate Cream in second and third degree burns

This clinical study was undertaken to test the efficacy of topical Sucralfa te Cream in second and third degree burns. Topical Sucralfate Cream has bee n used on a wide variety of lesions from radiation proctitis and dermatitis to keratoconjunctivitis with remarkable results. The study was carried out in two phases. The first phase comprised 60 patients. 30 of whom were trea ted with Sucralfate Cream while the other 30 were treated with other topica l antimicrobial agents. Twenty-one of the patients in the study group had s econd-degree burns and nine patients' third degree burns. In the second pha se, a double blind study was carried out on 25 patients where one area of b urns was treated with Sucralfate Cream while another control area of the sa me patient was treated with a placebo ointment. containing the excipients u sed during preparation of the Sucralfate Cream. without Sucralfate. In the first phase., it was seen that the period of epithelialisation of second de gree burns in the study group treated with Sucralfate Cream was 18.8 days c ompared with 24.6 days with other topical agents. This difference is statis tically significant with a P value of < 0.00001. In the double blind study, also healing in the areas treated with Sucralfate was more rapid than thos e treated with bland placebo ointment. The difference in the two rates of h ealing was statistically significant with a P value of 0.00067. Histopathol ogical studies were also carried out in 10 patients of phase I of the trial . Sucralfate Cream promotes rapid epithelialisation of second degree burns with minimal said effects and offers another topical agent in the burn care specialist's armamentarium. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd and ISBI. All ri ghts reserved.