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Page 2 of 7 Gupta et al. Plast Aesthet Res 2018;5:41 I http://dx.doi.org/10.20517/2347-9264.2018.51

Figure 1. Low level laser therapy being given to the target burn wound (a 40-year-old female patient with 20% total burn area, 10% target
area, post burn day 3, deep bun wounds are excised and grafted)

burden over society and effective and rapid treatment of burn wounds is important part of patient care as
well as proper healthcare resource utilization. Majority of burn patients have areas of variable burn thickness
and thus require multimodality treatment approach.

The healing of second degree superficial burn takes place by epithelialization from epidermal appendages
present in dermis. Conventionally these burn wounds are managed by regular dressings. These wounds take
[2]
around two to three weeks time for complete healing . It may take longer in case of wound infection, sepsis
or hypoproteinemia. Various treatment modalities are proposed, including collagen dressings, autologous
platelet reach plasma therapy, insulin therapy and low level laser therapy (LLLT) to increase rate of healing
[3]
and decrease complications in these cases . Evidence for beneficial effects of these modalities is not
sufficient.

Low level laser (LLL) is also known as cold laser as it does not produce heating effect. LLLT affects wound
healing on the basis of photobiomodulation effect. LLLT is claimed to have analgesic, anti-inflammatory
[4]
effects and stimulates wound healing and remodelling . An animal study has demonstrated effects of LLL
[5]
over second degree burn wounds at cellular level . However there is no human study for its effects on acute
burn wounds. LLLT can be used as an adjunct to the conventional treatment of second degree superficial
burn. This article presents our experience of the same.

METHODS
Twenty acute burn patients admitted into our tertiary burn care center from January 2017 to May 2018
were included in the study. The study is purely descriptive in nature. Both retrospective and prospective
data were collected. The patients included in the study were in the age range 18 to 45 years, having less than
40% of total body surface area burnt. The extent and depth of the burn were assessed clinically using Lund
and Browder chart and condition of wound respectively. All patients were having variable thickness burns
with areas of first degree, second degree superficial and second degree deep burns. For deep dermal burns
tangential excision and grafting was performed, while areas with first degree and second degree superficial
burns were managed with collagen dressings twice weekly. LLLT was used as an adjunct therapy in all
patients. Patients with diabetes mellitus, collagen vascular diseases or any other disease which limits wound
healing and patients on medications containing steroids were excluded. Written informed consent was taken
from all the patients.

Areas of second degree superficial burns were considered as target area. All wounds were provided LLLT (along
with the conventional treatment) in the operation theatre twice weekly with minimum interval of 3 days
[Figure 1]. We used Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) diode red laser of wavelength 650 nm, frequency 10 kHz and