Abstract: Hyperbaric oxygen is an approved therapy for 13 pathologic entities. Treatment of frostbite with hyperbaric oxygen is still considered investigational in the United States. Improvement in tissue survival following treatment has been favorably demonstrated in published case reports. This is a case report of severe peripheral frostbite injury in a hiker who presented for hyperbaric oxygen treatments 22 days after her injury. Initially, it was thought that amputation of her fingertips would be necessary. After receiving 21 treatments over a 5-week period, the patient made a complete recovery with only superficial sloughing of skin. Photos document her progress with daily hyperbaric oxygen treatments. A discussion of case reports on the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy for frostbite is provided, followed by proposed therapeutic mechanisms of action.

Abstract: Hypertrophic scar formation in the burn wound is a major concern, as it may be associated with a loss of function as well as an undesirable cosmetic result. The longer a wound is open, the greater the risk of scar formation. In theory, expediting removal of necrotic tissue from a wound allows for more rapid wound closure and less scar production. In 1994, the authorsí burn center began using an enzymatic debriding agent (collagenase) in the treatment of superficial burn wounds. The use of this enzyme expedited debridement of the wounds and resulted in more rapid closure of the wounds. In addition, less hypertrophic scar formation was observed. To confirm the latter finding, a retrospective study was performed. Wounds that did not require skin grafting were included in the study. A group of 225 patients debrided with saline wet-to-dry dressings (1989ñ1992) was identified and compared to 207 patients treated with collagenase (1994ñ1997). In the saline wet-to-dry group, 46 patie

Abstract: The performance of dressings significantly affects wound healing and quality of life for patients. Despite extensive collective nursing care experience, uncertainty remains about the optimum choice of many parameters that affect dressing performance, such as shape, extensibility, and fixing position. A technique was developed to investigate some of the parameters involved in the fixing of dressings for acute and chronic wounds. Representative mobile areas in the upper torso, neck, and leg were chosen for surface modeling. Digital surface photogrammetry was used to obtain surface data for various sites in young, middle-aged, and elderly subjects. In each case, landmarks were used to identify a grid of points in a region of skin, and the relative movements of the points were found following typical movements of the appropriate body part. The amounts and orientation of deformation of the skin were computed and displayed in such a way that some preliminary hypotheses could be mad