Burn injuries are a detrimental cause of global mortality. More than 100,000 deaths were recorded in 2019 due to burn accidents. Over 400,000 burn injuries were reported in the US in 2008. India and Bangladesh are some of the leading countries to report burn injury cases.
The top reasons of burn-related injuries include –
- Thermal injury – Thermal burns are the most common and cause local injuries.
- Electrical injury – These types of burns can heavily injure internal organs.
- Chemical injury – Chemical burns such as acid or alkali burns can liquify the skin or cause coagulation injuries.
Mostly, burn cases in adults are caused due to flames. While children can get burn injuries from hot liquids and solids. The chance of surviving burn injuries depends on the extent of the burn.
Doctors must determine whether it is a first-degree, second-degree, or third-degree burn. Severe burns are an invitation to a wide range of infections and diseases.
Accidents from burns can happen at any time and any place. Fire accidents occur mostly in homes and workplaces. People can be victims of kitchen, transport, and instrumental fires. The elderly and children cannot withstand more than 10% skin loss due to a burn.
The World Health Organization recorded 180,000 deaths every year due to burn injuries in 2023.
However, human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (HUC-MSCs) have expressed promising features to restore health and regenerate skin loss from accidental burns.
In this blog, we will discuss the potential benefits and the success of stem cells in treating burn wounds.
What are Burn Wounds?
Burns are skin injuries that cause fatal damage to the epidermis, dermis, and the subcutaneous fat layers of the skin.
Diagnosis of Burn Levels
Healthcare providers examine the condition of a patient affected by burn marks to determine the degree of the wound. Here are the burn-level specifications –
- Minor: Burn wounds that affect 10% or less of the body and do not need hospitalization.
- Moderate: These types of burns affect the top and lower layers of the skin.
- Severe: Third-degree burns that affect all three skin layers and require hospitalization.
Causes of Burns
The leading causes of burns are –
- Splashing of gasoline or strong acids on the skin
- Contact with electric currents
- Caught in a fire
- Spilled over hot liquid
- Touched hot metal or glass
- Exposure to excess X-ray radiation
- Burns from UV rays of the sun
- Abuse or accidents
Symptoms of Burns
Notable signs of burns are –
- Redness of the skin
- Dryness
- Swelling
- Blisters
- Bone damage
- Cell damage
- muscles damage
- tendons damage
- Brown and charred spots
- Peeled skin
What are the Complications of Burn Injuries?
Third-degree burns are life threatening while first and second-degree burns can lead to infections or discoloration of the skin. When burn wounds heal, they leave behind scars that can significantly impact the confidence of the person.
Other burn-related complications include –
- Heart rhythm disturbances
- Dehydration
- Excess swelling of the tissues
- Organ failure
- Hypotension and disorientation
- Amputation due to infection
- Scar marks
Mesenchymal Stem Cell Intervention To Heal Burn Wounds
Stem cell therapy is breaking the barriers of medicinal disciplines and holistically restructuring regenerative treatment.
Mesenchymal stem cells are umbilical cord-derived (UC-MSCs) and have regenerative abilities.
MSCs promote re-epithelialization, skin appendage regeneration, angiogenesis, granulation, and collagen deposition. Moreover, it controls the inflammatory responses to mitigate the risk of infections. The results are highly successful in human application to treat burn wounds. Stem cell therapy for burn wound healing leaves negligible to no scars.
HUC-MSCs are utilized to hasten wound healing from burns, reduce fibrosis, and reinstate skin regeneration.
MSCs are multipotent. These cells transform into any type of stem cells and migrate to affected areas.
Furthermore, stem cells promote tissue regeneration. They stop the effects of burn wounds at the site.
Read Also: How To Heal Lymphoma With Novel Stem Cell Therapy?
Results of Stem Cell Therapy for Burn Wound Treatment
The popularity and success of stem cells are attracting caregivers worldwide to explore skin regeneration possibilities in a minimally invasive method. Noteworthy results of stem cell therapy for burn wounds are –
- Restores the protective epithelium barrier at the burn site
- Promotes the regrowth of hair follicles and other skin appendages
- Enhances endothelial cell proliferation and forms new blood vessels
- Accelerates connective tissue granulation at the site of the wound to promote healing
- Deposition of collagen for renewed fibers and granulation tissue to create a convenient environment for wound healing
- Reduces scars from burn marks
- Rejuvenates and restores skin nutrients
- Reinstates the natural healing abilities of the body
- Quick response to treatment
- Prevents the loss of stem cells due to cell death
- Releases growth factors such as chemokines and cytokines to reduce fibrosis
- Forms new protective layers of the skin
- Improves external appearance
- Minimizes the chances of painful surgeries
- Provides relief from pain
The level of burn, areas affected, and the conditions related to burning are different from one person to another. The results of stem cell therapy for anti-aging and burn wound healing vary based on different internal and external factors.
Eligibility for Stem Cell Treatment
Treatment with MSC is administered to patients intravenously or through intramuscular interventions depending on the following eligibility criteria –
- Age, weight, height, gender
- Previous incision cases
- Medical history
- Genetic disorders
- Regular medications
- Severity and level of burn
- Any existing diseases
Read Also: Promising Impacts of MSC-Derived Exosomes in Cell-Free Therapy for Knee Osteoarthritis
Bottomline
Burn wounds impact the overall quality of your life. It disfigures appearance and invites several moderate-to-chronic illnesses. These diseases can affect the cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and autoimmune systems causing several disorders.
Moreover, third-degree burns increase the risk of death, amputation, and other detrimental effects.
Do not let a small burn mark destroy your mental piece. Sometimes, excessive exposure to sunlight can also burn the skin and appear as red patches due to harmful UV rays.
Stem cells can effectively heal and stop the pain and problems related to burn injuries. The Life Altering Stem Cell Therapy Institute is an American-owned healthcare center with the latest infrastructure to address burn wounds and treat them with potent MSCs.
Talk to our doctors and avoid systemic complications.
