The influence of burn wound dressings on laser Doppler imaging assessment of a standardized cutaneous injury model.

The objective of this study was to determine the impact of burn wound dressings on Laser Doppler imaging assessment of a cutaneous injury model. A healthy volunteer was subjected to a standardized mechanical stimulus to produce a triple response. This was scanned under ideal conditions using the moor LDI2 before and after application of the following dressings: GLAD Wrap , Bactigras, Hypafix, Omiderm, DuoDERM, Acticoat, and Avance. The triple response was readily and consistently detected on the LDI blood flow image. Glad Wrap, Bactigras, Hypafix, Omiderm, and DuoDERM all had minimal adverse impact on the Laser Doppler blood flow image. Acticoat and Avance prevented detection of the triple response. In addition, there was a false-positive blood flow image with the Acticoat dressing positioned with the silver colored surface uppermost. Dressings transparent to the near infrared spectrum allowed detection of a standardized cutaneous injury model under ideal conditions. Laser Doppler imaging might therefore be used to assess a burn wound without removal of such a dressing. This would have implications for the selection and use of dressings in the treatment of burn patients, especially in an ambulatory care setting.