For pediatric patients with burn injuries, bacterial nanocellulose proved superior to polyurethane foam in regard to length of hospital stay and number of interventions while under anesthesia, according to a study published in Burns. Researchers evaluated 190 children with thermal injuries of the torso, legs, and arms who were treated with bacterial nanocellulose sheets or polyurethane foam dressings. Data were assessed retrospectively regarding hospitalization, procedures with general anesthesia, rate of infection, scar formation, and need for skin grafting. In the nanocellulose group, the length of hospitalization and procedures under anesthesia were considerably reduced. Between the two subgroups, no significant difference in rate of complications, wound healing, and rate of skin grafting were observed. “Acting as a temporary epidermal substitute, bacterial nanocellulose enables undisturbed re-epithelialization without further wound dressing changes,” the study authors wrote. “It offers a safe, cost-effective treatment option and provides excellent comfort in pediatric patients.”
