First Skin Bank established at AIIMS in Delhi, to benefit burnt patients

New Delhi [India], June 29 : The first Skin Bank was inaugurated at the All India Institute Of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Hospital on Thursday in New Delhi which will benefit burn patients.

According to the officials, a skin bank manual was also released to provide a new lease of life to burn patients. This bank with technologically advanced machines will be of great help in saving the lives of severe burn patients.

In his welcome speech, Professor and Head Maneesh Singhal said that this bank will strengthen the toolkit of burn surgeons by adding technical expertise and training in order to save the lives of patients with severe burns.

"This bank will add to the armamentarium of burn surgeons to save the lives of patients with major burns," said Singhal.

In his inaugural speech, the Director of AIIMS M Srinivas stated that AIIMS is dedicated to offering burn care of the highest standards.

"AIIMS aims to compete with the world's top burn centres with this facility," he said.

Notably, any person above 18 years of age can donate his skin within 6 hours of death. Only those people who are suffering from HIV, Hepatitis B-C or STD, any infection, septicemia, any skin infection, skin cancer or any other such disease cannot donate skin.

Assistant Professor of Plastic, Reconstructive, and Burns Surgery, Shivangi Saha emphasized that despite the finest care and efforts, patients with burns that are more than 60 per cent TBSA frequently pass away from infections.

"Despite the best skills and efforts, patients with more than 60 per cent TBSA burns often succumb due to infections," said the AIIMS Assistant Professor.

The skin of any dead person is taken from the back, thigh and feet. Whenever the skin is cut, no blood comes out of it. Also, before giving the dead body to the relatives, those parts are covered well with the help of bandages.

"Using cadaveric skin for cover will help salvage many patients," she added.

Head of the Burn and Plastic Surgery Block Maneesh, also mentioned that it might be quite challenging to save patients whose skin has been burned because it becomes damaged and takes two to three weeks for new skin to grow back.

"This skin can be applied until the new skin comes so that the wound can be protected from infection, and when the new skin comes on the patient's wound, then this skin is removed by itself," he added.

Skin donation from one person can save the life of at least one burn victim and more than one burn child.

"In 2022, when we started initially treating burn patients, we had only 60 beds. And from the time it was created, we were engaged in preparations for opening a skin bank," said Maneesh.

Along with this, the doctor stated that in order to open this bank successfully and for skin to be donated here to be used for other people, we now need to encourage and educate people to donate skin.

"Anyone who can donate their eyes can also donate skin, so there is no need to panic in this situation. After six hours following a person's passing, skin can be given and preserved here at a temperature of five degrees for five years," he added.

A person's average build allows for the harvesting of up to 3000 sq cm of skin. Therefore, 1000 to 1500 sq cm of graft will be needed for a 30 per cent TBSA raw area.

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