Isn't it time for a cadaver skin bank in South Africa?

Improvements in comprehensive burn care, as practiced in dedicated burns units, have reduced mortality and morbidity rates significantly. Strategies deemed most important include the application of fluid resuscitation and nutrition protocols, intensive care and antimicrobial dressings, as well as early excision and grafting. Autografting is limited, however, by availability in very extensive burns, despite the use of expanded (meshed) skin. Alternatives have therefore been required, and deceased donor allograft is considered the gold standard. Fresh allograft use is limited by supply, and legislative and cultural restrictions have significantly influenced availability, despite evidence of its efficacy. This necessitates the establishment of a deceased donor skin bank in South Africa, with a mandate to procure and store allograft for distribution to burns units when required.