Higher serum prealbumin levels are associated with higher graft take and wound healing in adult burn patients: A prospective observational trial.

Nieves Vanaclocha, Luis Miranda Gómez, Maria Dolores Pérez Del Caz, Vicente Vanaclocha Vanaclocha, Francisco Javier Miranda Alonso

Journal: Burns : journal of the International Society for Burn Injuries 2024;50(4):903-912

PMID: 38302393

Full Text on Elsevier Science View on PubMed

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Nutritional support is essential in burn care. There are few studies investigating the effect of nutrition on burn healing. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between perioperative serum prealbumin levels and the probability of autologous skin graft take in burned patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A prospective observational study was carried out with burned adults recruited consecutively from April 2019 until September 2021. Serum prealbumin was determined perioperatively. The percentage of graft take was evaluated over the first 5 postoperative dressing changes. Time until full epithelialization (absence of wounds) was also registered.

RESULTS

A total of 60 patients were recruited, mostly middle-aged people with moderate flame burns. Serum prealbumin levels and graft take had a weak-moderate, nonlinear, statistically significant correlation. They were also an independent predictor of full epithelialization on the fifth dressing change, together with burn depth. Higher perioperative serum prealbumin levels were significantly associated with a reduction in time until full epithelialization.

CONCLUSIONS

Perioperative serum prealbumin levels are significantly correlated with the probability of split-thickness skin autograft take in burned patients and with a reduced time to achieve complete epithelialization. They were an independent predictor of full graft take.

Address: Department of Plastic Surgery and Burns, University and Polytechnic Hospital La Fe, Valencia, Spain. Electronic address: [email protected].; Department of Plastic Surgery, University General Hospital, Valencia, Spain.; Department of Plastic Surgery and Burns, University and Polytechnic Hospital La Fe, Valencia, Spain; Department of Surgery, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain.; Department of Surgery, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain.; Department of Physiology, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain.

DOI: 10.1016/j.burns.2023.12.015

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MeSH Terms: Humans, Burns, Prealbumin, Male, Female, Prospective Studies, Middle Aged, Skin Transplantation, Adult, Wound Healing, Aged, Graft Survival, Re-Epithelialization, Transplantation, Autologous, Young Adult