Evaluation of Bromelain-Based Enzymatic Debridement Combined with Laser Doppler Imaging and Healing of Burn Wounds

Background: Accurate estimation of burn depth is crucial for correct treatment decision making. Bromelain-based enzymat-ic debridement (ED) may improve clinical assessment of burn depth. Laser Doppler imaging (LDI) provides a valuable indicator of burn depth by analyzing microcirculation within tissue beds. This study aimed to evalu-ate bromelain-based enzymatic debridement combined with laser Doppler imaging and healing of 42 wounds in 19 patients with mixed second-and third-degree thermal burns. Material/Methods: We included 42 wounds in 19 patients with mixed deep dermal and full-thickness thermal burns. All patients were treated with eschar-specific removal agent for ED. The perfusion of each wound after ED was assessed using LDI. Healing time was estimated by 2 experienced burn surgeons and marked by the observation of ep-ithelization. The usefulness of the LDI performed after ED in predicting healing time was estimated. The find-ings were analyzed to determine a cut-off value for LDI that indicates if a burn will heal spontaneously. Results: We observed that burn wounds with higher mean perfusion healed faster. The analysis showed a strong rela-tionship between perfusion after ED and healing time (Spearman rank correlation coefficient=-0.803). A mean perfusion greater than 296.89 indicated that the wound could heal spontaneously and does not require skin grafting. Conclusions: LDI examination of an already debrided wound allows for a reliable assessment of perfusion at an early stage of treatment. The use of a safe and effective debridement method in conjunction with a non-invasive diagnos-tic tool could improve burn management.