METHODS FOR ASSESSING THE SIZE AND DEPTH OF BURN WOUNDS

Introduction: Assessment and treatment of open soft tissue injuries, in particular thermal injuries, is an important issue in surgery, as the correct choice of treatment tactics depends on the accurate determination of the wound size and depth. Reliable assessment of burn wounds allows for treatment adjustments, data storage for scientific research and improved prognosis, reducing the length of hospital stay of patients. Objectives: Review the methods of assessing the size and depth of a skin defect and, in particular, a burn wound. Materials and methods: To conduct the review, we analyzed literary sources in English and Ukrainian found on PubMed, Cochrane Library, ResearchGate, MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. Searches were performed using MeSH keywords covering burn depth, measurement of skin defects, and non-invasive imaging techniques. The analysis included publications from 2000 to 2024, but primary sources were also considered for a complete description of methods. Results: Analysis of methods for determining planimetric characteristics and depth of burn wounds revealed certain disadvantages, including difficulty in use and high cost. Most of these techniques require considerable time and resources, which limits their practical application in clinical settings. Conclusions: Further research should prioritize the development and implementation of more accessible, user-friendly, and cost-effective techniques for the evaluation of burn wounds. The ideal solution would be the introduction of new technologies or improvement of existing approaches to ensure the accuracy of measurements, ease of operation, and seamless integration into existing treatment protocols. This will significantly improve the diagnosis and treatment of patients with burns.