Acute discrimination between superficial-partial and deep-partial thickness burns in a preclinical model with laser speckle imaging.

Abstract

A critical need exists for a robust method that enables early discrimination between superficial-partial and deep-partial thickness burn wounds. In this study, we report on the use of laser speckle imaging (LSI), a simple, non-invasive, optical imaging modality, to measure acute blood flow dynamics in a preclinical burn model. We used a heated brass comb to induce burns of varying severity to nine rats and collected raw speckle reflectance images over the course of three hours after burn. We induced a total of 12 superficial-partial and 18 deep-partial thickness burn wounds. At 3h after burn we observed a 28% and 44% decrease in measured blood flow for superficial-partial and deep-partial thickness burns, respectively, and that these reductions were significantly different (p=0.00007). This preliminary data suggests the potential role of LSI in the clinical management of burn wounds.

• Authors: Christian Crouzet, John Quan Nguyen, Adrien Ponticorvo, Nicole P Bernal, Anthony J Durkin, Bernard Choi
• Journal: Burns : journal of the International Society for Burn Injuries (Burns) Vol. 41 Issue 5 Pg. 1058-63 (Aug 2015) ISSN: 1879-1409 [Electronic] Netherlands
• PMID: 25814299 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.

Topics

• Animals
• Burns (diagnosis, pathology)
• Disease Models, Animal
• Laser-Doppler Flowmetry
• Male
• Rats
• Rats, Sprague-Dawley
• Skin (blood supply, pathology)