Intradermal injection of epinephrine to decrease blood loss during split-thickness skin grafting.

After a burn injury, the hemodynamics of a patient is changed. There is usually a fall in hematocrit. In addition to this, there is the loss of blood during the grafting procedure. Some patients cannot tolerate this loss of blood. The method we use to help decrease the loss of blood during skin grafting is an injection of epinephrine intradermally before the graft and eschar are excised. We have found this method to be useful in a select group of patients.