PEDIATRIC WOUND CARE: A TREATMENT DILEMMA

Treating a pediatric-wound requires epitome of expertise especially in neonates. The treating-surgeons usually need to emphasize on multiple-factors. It is very difcult for both surgeon and parents to choose between operative-procedure and non-operative procedure like high quality dressing e.g. nanocrystalline-silver-dressing. The aim of this study is to report nanocrystallinesilver-dressing (Acticoat) as one of good treatment-options for skin-defect-wound especially in neonates and share our experiences gained during the management. Material & Methods: 20-pediatric patients were treated with acticoat dressing and followed up after 48 hours. If acticoat was dry, we poured distilled water to wet. Gauze-dressing was done over the acticoat. If dressing is soaked and pus was seen trickling, acticoat was reapplied after thorough wash and cleaning. We ensured that there was no foreign body in the wound. Results: 20-pediatric-patients were treated at this centre with Nanocrystalline-silver-dressing (Acticoat). Out-of-these, 17-patients were infants. 08-were neonates among infants. Burn, trauma, infections and iatrogenic injury are major-etiology. Mean-sessions-of-acticoatdressing mean-days-of-treatment 3.1 17.6 days respectively and are and . 9-out-of-20-cases were burn-cases with mean-sessions of dressing and mean-days of treatment were and . Mean-satisfactory-Score of parents was (out of 10) We found no 02 12.11-days 9.15 . t a single-case of treatment-failure and not single-case local as well as systemic toxic-effect. Conclusion: Acticoat is one of the best treatment-options for tissue-defect-wound especially in pediatric-cases and those who are unt for surgery. Satisfactory-level of parents is very high with acticoat as it can be managed as outpatient. Acticoat-dressing was very effective, relatively pain-free and did not require frequent-change of dressing.