Close relative intermingled skin allograft and autograft use in the treatment of major burns in adults and children

Major burns still continue to pose problems of inadequate auto skin closure. Patients suffering severe burns lack adequate skin graft donor site. We present the results of 17 major adult and pediatric burns that we applied close relative intermingled skin allograft and autograft in the course of treatment. The extent of burn injury ranged from 40%-70% total body surface are (TBSA). Seven patients survived and 10 patients died. Mean percent TBSA of the dead and surviving patients were 55.5 +/- 11.16 (range, 40-70) and 55.0 +/- 4.08 (range, 50-60) respectively. Mean age of the dead and surviving patients were 16.1 +/- 13.77 (range, 2-42) and 11.1 +/- 6.74 (range, 2-21), respectively. We present a safe and satisfactory means of effective alternative treatment to resurface major burns in case of limited auto skin graft donor site without exposure to bacteria, human immunodeficiency virus, and hepatitis virus when keratinocyte culture facilities and skin banks are not available.