Accelerated healing of full-thickness burns by the use of high-voltage pulsed galvanic stimulation in the pig.

An experimental study was designed using domestic pigs to evaluate the effect of high-voltage pulsed galvanic stimulation (HVPGS) on the rate of healing of full-thickness thermal burns. Twenty animals were used in the study; each one received two standardized burns over the paravertebral region. In half of the animals, HVPGS was performed daily for the study period. One of the burn wounds in each pig was used to evaluate wound contraction by measuring the wound surface weekly for four weeks. The second burn wound had weekly tissue biopsies to evaluate fibroblast population. The data showed a significantly faster rate of wound contraction (p less than 0.001) and a higher fibroblast response (p less than 0.001) in the HVPGS group when compared with controls.