Hydrophilic Acid Ointments for the Debridement of Burns.*†

✍ Scribed by Mattocks, Albert M. ;Lazier, Wilbur A.

• Book ID: 102412041
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Year: 1946
• Weight: 377 KB
• Volume: 35
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0095-9553
• DOI: 10.1002/jps.3030350908

✦ Synopsis

A number of readily wetted powders for the formation of acid-containing ointments are described. These ointments were formulated for use in the chemical debridements of burns. Several were found to be as effective as pyruvic acid-starch paste mixtures originally employed. Methods of preparation, assay procedures, and data on the stability of several ointments are reported.

HE ADVENT of the sulfa drugs and other powerful antibiotics has made possible an entirely new approach to the treatment of deep burns, whether caused by fire or by chemical agents. However, the removal of necrotic tissue from the site presents a special problem. Mechanical debridement by scrubbing or surgery causes much pain with increased danger from shock, and may actually damage or remove residual islands of epithfial cells capable of regenerating new tissue.

Chemical debridement was investigated by G. Connor and S. C. Harvey of Yale University (1) who found that jellies containing organic acids such as pyruvic or succinic acids cause removal of slough in a single tough pellicle, leaving a clean granulating surface. This work was confirmed by M. B.