Abstract: Background: Uses of gentian violet as a marker to determine burn depth, to facilitate early tangential excision.
Patient and Method: A prospective study conducted on eighteen burned patients, they were admitted to Burns and Plastic Surgery Hospital in Sulaimani, with deep second and third degree burn, and they underwent early tangential excision with the guidance of gentian violet and grafting. Incisional biopsy was taken from two patients and sent for histopathology, they resulted in staining of dead tissues and preservation of normal tissues.
Results: The mean age of the patients was (23.25) years. (77.7%) were with flame burn and (22.3%) were with scald burn. With the use of our method (55.5%) of patients needed one session and (44.5%) of patients needed more than one session of excision and grafting. The mean of excised and grafted area was (9.97%) TBSA. (77.7%) of patients with good graft take (90-100%), (16.6%) of patients with moderate graft take (50-89%), (5.5%) of patients with poor graft take (<50%), with a mean of graft take (84.11). The mean hospital stay of those who required one session was (0.51) day/1% BSAB.
Conclusion: Pre-operative gentian violate application enabled us to predict the depth of burn injury easily, while performing early tangential excision, faster wound healing, less scaring, increased graft survival, decrease the overall cost and hospital stay, and diminished intraoperative blood loss appear to be the main advantages of this procedure.
