In severe burned patients skin donor site healing is always a real problem.
The cause of unhealing wounds is nevertheless the infection favoured by immunosuppression and typical unbalanced catabolism of severe burned patient.
According to guidelines, the standard of care to skin donor site is represented by vaseline gauze only, consecutively to cleasing and disinfection.
Usually Meek technique represent an original method to expand very small skin graft with a ratio from 1:2 to 1:9, thanks to new pre-folded manufactured gauze, producing square skin islands easy to use in the management of burned patients for the reconstruction of very large areas.
This study is finalized to verify the “healing time” and the “percentage of healing” of donor site using autologous skin 1:6 obtained with Meek technique versus Vaseline gauze (standard of care).
From January 2021 to January 2022, we enrolled 10 patients (6 males and 4 females), aged between 18 years old and 60 years old, with TBSA (total body surface area) of 40%-60%, each patient had two donor site areas, the one treated with Meek technique (Study group) and the other treated with Standard of care (Control group).
The results show that the healing of donor site treated with Meek technique has been 95,3 % in 10 days (at the scaffold removal) , whereas in the area treated with vaseline gauze the percentage of healing has been 54,7 %, in 15 days (according to guidelines).
The complete healing of the donor site area treated with Meek technique has been obtained in 14 days, whereas the complete healing of donor site areas, treated with vaseline gauze, has been obtained in 41 days.
In conclusion the use of meek technique 1:6 to treat the donor site areas has been very effective in order to reduce the surface of unhealing areas in severe patients with very extensive wounds, avoiding unhealing of donor site areas, reducing time of hospitalization and improving outcome of these difficult patients.

P.061 skin donor site management using meek technique in severe burned patients

Dear friends and colleagues,

We will be pleased to welcome you in Turin (Italy) for the 19th European Burns Association´s Congress in 2022. Italy is honored to hold the meeting of the European Burns Association for the second time, after Verona in 1995. Turin is easily reachable from everywhere in Europe, either travelling by car, train or choosing flight connections. During the meeting, held in the renewed industrial center of the main Italian historical automotive factory (i.e. Lingotto-FIAT), we will meet international burn specialists, focusing on standards of care, progresses in burn treatment, strategies to face disaster situations, with a special attention to education of younger colleagues. However, in your spare time, you might enjoy the sweet days of Italian late summer, simply wandering in the green parks and gardens along the two rivers which cross the city, or you might decide to discover the numerous art galleries, churches, palaces, libraries, walking across elegant squares and large boulevards, passing through centuries of art and history; finally, you may choose to immerse yourself in some of the most exciting museum experiences, such as the Cinema Museum and the Turin’s Egyptian museum.

Looking forward to seeing you all in Turin for the 19th European Association´s Congress in 2022!
Maurizio Stella, Congress President, Turin Burn Centre