Early Enzyme-Alginogel Treatment Improves Healing and Reduces Complications, Scarring, and Healthcare Burden in Children with Mild-to-Moderate Burns: A Retrospective Real-World Study
Highlights
- Early treatment with enzyme alginogel was associated with faster healing, fewer local complications, and better early scar outcomes than the historical NaOCl-based initial treatment strategy in children with mild-to-moderate burns.
- Children receiving enzyme alginogel required fewer follow-up visits and none underwent early surgery, despite a higher proportion of deep burns in this group.
- Early topical management may influence burn wound progression, healing, and early scar development in pediatric patients.
- Prospective randomized studies are needed to determine the role of enzyme alginogel within standardized treatment pathways for pediatric burns.
Abstract
1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Study Design
2.2. Ethical Considerations
2.3. Patient Selection
2.4. Treatment Groups and Procedure
2.5. Data Collection and Clinical Assessment
2.6. Objectives and Endpoints
2.7. Statistical Analysis
3. Results
3.1. Study Population
3.2. Primary Objectives
3.3. Secondary Objectives
3.4. Exploratory Outcomes
4. Discussion
Limitation
5. Conclusions
Supplementary Materials
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
Abbreviations
| TBSA | Total Body Surface Area |
| NaOCl | Sodium Hypochlorite |
| SoC | Standard Of Care |
| ED | Emergency Department |
| VSS | Vancouver Scar Scale |
| SD | Standard Deviation |
| AIC | Akaike Information Criterion |
| CI | Confidence Interval |
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| Age Group | Mild Burn | Moderate Burn | Severe Burn |
|---|---|---|---|
| <2 years | <5% TBSA | 5–10% TBSA | >10% TBSA |
| 2–10 years | <10% TBSA | 10–15% TBSA | >15% TBSA |
| >10 years | <10–15% TBSA | 15–20% TBSA | >20% TBSA |
| Variable | Parameter | Treatment (n = 80) | Total | p-Value a | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group A n = 45 (56.25%) | Group B n = 35 (43.75%) | ||||
| Age (years) | Min/Max | 0.6/16.0 | 0.5/16.0 | 0.5/16.0 | 0.95 |
| Med [IQR] | 7.0 [5.0; 12.0] | 8.0 [3.0; 12.0] | 8.0 [3.0; 12.0] | ||
| Mean (std) | 8.1 (4.7) | 8.0 (5.3) | 8.1 (4.9) | ||
| n (NA) | 45 (0) | 35 (0) | 80 (0) | ||
| Age class (years) | 0–3 | 9 (20.0%) | 12 (34.29%) | 21 (26.25%) | 0.08 |
| 4–10 | 21 (46.67%) | 8 (22.86%) | 29 (36.25%) | ||
| 11–18 | 15 (33.33%) | 15 (42.86%) | 30 (37.50%) | ||
| Sex | Female | 22 (48.89%) | 21 (60.0%) | 43 (53.75%) | 0.32 |
| Male | 23 (51.11%) | 14 (40.0%) | 37 (46.25%) | ||
| Burn diagnosis | Liquid | 35 (77.78%) | 23 (65.71%) | 58 (72.50%) | 0.42 |
| Scald | 6 (13.33%) | 6 (17.14%) | 12 (15.00%) | ||
| Flame | 4 (8.89%) | 6 (17.14%) | 10 (12.50%) | ||
| Burn depth | First-degree superficial | 25 (55.56%) | 16 (45.71%) | 41 (51.25%) | 0.03 |
| Superficial partial-thickness, IIA | 6 (13.33%) | 2 (5.71%) | 8 (10.00%) | ||
| Deep partial-thickness, IIB | 4 (8.89%) | 0 (0.00%) | 4 (5.00%) | ||
| Full-thickness, III | 10 (22.22%) | 17 (48.57%) | 27 (33.75%) | ||
| Burn site | Upper limb/hand | 13 (28.89%) | 9 (25.71%) | 22 (27.5%) | 0.91 |
| Lower limb | 3 (6.67%) | 3 (8.57%) | 6 (7.50%) | ||
| Trunk | 10 (22.22%) | 8 (22.86%) | 18 (22.5%) | ||
| Head/face | 0 (0%) | 1 (2.86%) | 1 (1.25%) | ||
| Multiple regions | 19 (42.22%) | 14 (40.0%) | 33 (41.00%) | ||
| TBSA (%) | Min/Max | 1.0/12.0 | 2.0/12.0 | 1.0/12.0 | 0.88 |
| Med [IQR] | 8.0 [5.0; 10.0] | 8.0 [4.5; 10.0] | 8.0 [5.0; 10.0] | ||
| Mean (std) | 7.2 (3.4) | 7.2 (3.6) | 7.2 (3.5) | ||
| n (NA) | 45 (0) | 35 (0) | 80 (0) | ||
| TBSA class (%) | 0–5% | 14 (31.11%) | 13 (37.14%) | 27 (33.75%) | 0.82 |
| 5–10% | 20 (44.44%) | 15 (42.86%) | 35 (43.75%) | ||
| >10% | 11 (24.44%) | 7 (20.0%) | 18 (22.50%) | ||
| Early medication change | 24 h | 45 (100%) | 0 (0%) | 45 (56.25%) | <0.001 |
| 48 h | 0 (0%) | 35 (100%) | 35 (43.75%) | ||
| Variable | Parameter | Treatment | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group A n = 45 (56.25%) | Group B n = 35 (43.75%) | |||
| Healing time (days) | Min/Max | 9.0/27.0 | 6.0/16.0 | 6.0/27.0 |
| Med [IQR] | 17.0 [15.0; 20.0] | 11.0 [9.5; 13.0] | 14.5 [11.0; 18.0] | |
| Mean (std) | 17.4 (4.0) | 11.2 (2.6) | 14.7 (4.6) | |
| n (NA) | 45 (0) | 35 (0) | 80 (0) | |
| Mean diff. [95% CI] | 6.17 [4.71–7.63] | p < 0.001 | ||
| Variable | Category | Treatment (n = 80) | Total | p-Value a | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group A n = 45 (56.25%) | Group B n = 35 (43.75%) | ||||
| NERDS | Yes | 45 (100.0%) | 5 (14.29%) | 50 (62.5%) | <0.001 |
| No | 0 (0.0%) | 30 (85.71%) | 30 (37.5%) | ||
| Inflammation | Absent | 0 (0.0%) | 3 (8.57%) | 3 (3.75%) | <0.001 |
| Moderate | 2 (4.44%) | 25 (71.43%) | 27 (33.75%) | ||
| Intense | 43 (95.56%) | 7 (20.0%) | 50 (62.5%) | ||
| Exudate | Scarce | 6 (13.33%) | 5 (14.29%) | 11 (13.75%) | 0.004 |
| Moderate | 17 (37.78%) | 24 (68.57%) | 41 (51.25%) | ||
| Medium | 22 (48.89%) | 5 (14.29%) | 27 (33.75%) | ||
| High | 0 (0.0%) | 1 (2.85%) | 1 (1.25%) | ||
| Maceration | None | 3 (6.67%) | 33 (94.29%) | 36 (45.0%) | <0.001 |
| <30% | 30 (66.67%) | 2 (5.71%) | 32 (40.0%) | ||
| >30% | 12 (26.66%) | 0 (0.0%) | 12 (15.0%) | ||
| Borders | Neat | 3 (6.67%) | 14 (40.0%) | 17 (21.25%) | <0.001 |
| Irregular | 41 (91.11%) | 21 (60.0%) | 62 (77.5%) | ||
| Macerated | 1 (2.22%) | 0 (0.0%) | 1 (1.25%) | ||
| Subsequent medication | No change | 1 (2.22%) | 35 (100.0%) | 36 (45.0%) | <0.001 |
| Alginogel | 3 (6.67%) | 0 (0.0%) | 3 (3.75%) | ||
| Collagenase + Sodium Hyaluronate | 10 (22.22%) | 0 (0.0%) | 10 (12.5%) | ||
| Sodium Hyaluronate Cream | 4 (8.89%) | 0 (0.0%) | 4 (5.0%) | ||
| Gelling Fiber with Silver | 27 (60.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 27 (33.75%) | ||
| Variable | Category | Treatment (n = 80) | Total | p-Value a | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group A n = 45 (56.25%) | Group B n = 35 (43.75%) | ||||
| VSS total score | Min/Max | 1.0/7.0 | 0/3.0 | 0/7.0 | |
| Med [IQR] | 4.0 [4.0; 5.0] | 1.0 [1.0; 2.0] | 3.0 [1.8; 5.0] | ||
| Mean (std) | 4.4 (1.2) | 1.4 (0.9) | 3.1 (1.8) | ||
| n (NA) | 45 (0) | 35 (0) | 80 (0) | ||
| Mean diff. [95% CI] | 2.95 [CI 95%: 2.33–3.23] | p < 0.001 | |||
| Vascularization | Normal | 0 (0.0%) | 5 (14.29%) | 5 (6.25%) | <0.001 |
| Intense purpura | 1 (2.22%) | 0 (0.0%) | 1 (1.25%) | ||
| Pink | 11 (24.44%) | 27 (77.14%) | 38 (47.50%) | ||
| Red | 33 (73.35%) | 3 (8.57%) | 36 (45.00%) | ||
| Pigmentation | Hyper-pigmented | 38 (84.45%) | 8 (22.86%) | 46 (57.5%) | <0.001 |
| Under-pigmented | 6 (13.33%) | 2 (5.71%) | 8 (10.0%) | ||
| Normal | 1 (2.22%) | 25 (71.43%) | 26 (32.5%) | ||
| Elasticity | Flexible | 17 (37.78%) | 5 (14.29%) | 22 (27.50%) | <0.001 |
| Rather flexible | 14 (31.11%) | 0 (0.0%) | 14 (17.50%) | ||
| Rather rigid | 2 (4.44%) | 0 (0.0%) | 2 (2.50%) | ||
| Normal | 12 (26.67%) | 30 (85.71%) | 42 (52.50%) | ||
| Scar height | <2 mm | 16 (35.56%) | 0 (0.0%) | 16 (20.0%) | <0.001 |
| No elevation | 29 (64.44%) | 35 (100.0%) | 64 (80.0%) | ||
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Nicolosi, B.; Buccione, E.; Dollaku, H.; Difalco, B.V.; Salutini, E.; Martin, A.; Certini, M.; Cappelli, S.; Spano, A.; Castiello, G.; et al. Early Enzyme-Alginogel Treatment Improves Healing and Reduces Complications, Scarring, and Healthcare Burden in Children with Mild-to-Moderate Burns: A Retrospective Real-World Study. Children 2026, 13, 994. https://doi.org/10.3390/children13080994
Nicolosi B, Buccione E, Dollaku H, Difalco BV, Salutini E, Martin A, Certini M, Cappelli S, Spano A, Castiello G, et al. Early Enzyme-Alginogel Treatment Improves Healing and Reduces Complications, Scarring, and Healthcare Burden in Children with Mild-to-Moderate Burns: A Retrospective Real-World Study. Children. 2026; 13(8):994. https://doi.org/10.3390/children13080994
Chicago/Turabian StyleNicolosi, Biagio, Emanuele Buccione, Hamilton Dollaku, Benedetta Virginia Difalco, Eleonora Salutini, Alessandra Martin, Martina Certini, Sara Cappelli, Alessia Spano, Gianluca Castiello, and et al. 2026. "Early Enzyme-Alginogel Treatment Improves Healing and Reduces Complications, Scarring, and Healthcare Burden in Children with Mild-to-Moderate Burns: A Retrospective Real-World Study" Children 13, no. 8: 994. https://doi.org/10.3390/children13080994
APA StyleNicolosi, B., Buccione, E., Dollaku, H., Difalco, B. V., Salutini, E., Martin, A., Certini, M., Cappelli, S., Spano, A., Castiello, G., Facchini, F., & Ciprandi, G. (2026). Early Enzyme-Alginogel Treatment Improves Healing and Reduces Complications, Scarring, and Healthcare Burden in Children with Mild-to-Moderate Burns: A Retrospective Real-World Study. Children, 13(8), 994. https://doi.org/10.3390/children13080994

