Today in weird patienta man cared for with fish skin!
In Brazil, a 23-year-old man presents to the emergency room with impressive burns on both arms. The surface layer of his skin melted from the flames emitted from a gun. Doctors were able to remove necrotic tissue by scraping the burns while the patient was under anesthesia. Faced with the extent of the wounds and the significant risk of complications, the doctors took an original decision to treat their patient: graft him fish skins!
Heal burns with fish skin
Skin, but not just any fish, that of the Nile tilapia, a very prolific species of fish bred en masse for its flesh. His skin is rich in collagen, essential for repairing burnt skin, and resists friction and stretching well. Before applying it to the patient’s burned arms, doctors ensure that it is not contaminated with any pathogenic bacteria. All wounds are then covered with Tilapia skins. After six days, the fish skins adhered well to the wounds. The patient will keep this original dressing for another ten days. At 17e day, the effect on the burnt skin of the Brazilian is staggering!
Tilapia skins allowed re-epithelialization of the skin in just 15 days, without any side effects. For deeper burns, doctors suggest leaving the xenograft for three weeks. They even plan to launch a clinical trial to confirm the benefits of grafting Tilapia skins to treat superficial burns.
