Improved wound healing and cosmetic outcomes with silver nanoparticle dressings in pediatric burn patients

Burns are challenging injuries requiring effective wound management, and while silver nanoparticle dressings show promise in promoting healing, there is a lack of clinical research on their use in pediatric burn patients. Thus, we aimed to investigate their effects on accelerating wound healing in children. We performed a retrospective study on 60 pediatric burn patients. The patients were grouped into control (30 cases, conventional wound management) and observation (30 cases, silver nanoparticle dressings + conventional management) groups. The clinical efficacy, wound healing time, impediments, Vancouver Scar Scale (VSS) score, scar hyperplasia degree, and satisfaction of patients with different burn sites and degrees were analyzed. Wound healing time and treatment effective rate of patients with different burn sites and degrees in the observation group was significantly higher than control (P < .05). The complication incidence, VSS scores for scar color, vascularity, pliability and thickness, and the proportion of severe hyperplasia were lower in the observation group, while the proportion of mild hyperplasia was higher (P < .05). Family satisfaction was also higher than control (P < .05). Correlation analysis revealed that shorter healing times were associated with improved scar outcomes, such that each 1-day reduction in healing time was linked to lower VSS thickness scores and a decreased likelihood of severe hyperplasia. This retrospective study suggests that silver nanoparticle dressings may be associated with faster wound healing, fewer complications, improved cosmetic outcomes, and higher family satisfaction in pediatric burn patients. Prospective randomized studies are warranted to confirm these findings.