Antioxidant use in severely burned children: a literature review

Purpose:

To review and assess the recent therapeutic trends of antioxidant therapy for severely burned children.

Methods:

A MEDLINE search was run using the following criteria: ‘antioxidants* AND burns AND children’.  Material was gathered from original research articles and reviews published in peer-reviewed journals.

Results:

One of the hallmarks of severely burned patients is accelerated metabolism, which manifests itself in the form of nutritional deficiency. Primary treatment modalities include optimal nutritional support and fluid resuscitation.  In particular, reductions in zinc, vitamin C, and α-Tocopherol (vitamin E) signify the presence of oxidative stress. Antioxidant supplementation has shown promising results in the treatment of these deficiencies.

Antioxidant supplementation has been shown to reduce burn related morality as well as the overall time to heal.  Because of the disparities between the studies and due to a limited pediatric study population, the results could not be optimally compared.  Nevertheless, a randomized, double blind, placebo controlled study revealed that supplementation of vitamin E, zinc, and vitamin C showed a statistically significant decrease in lipid peroxidation and time for wound healing. Additionally, antioxidants inhibit free radical formation and protect organs from free radical damage.

Conclusion:

Supplementation through zinc, vitamin C, and vitamin E has been associated with better outcomes and decreased time to heal for wounds in children. Antioxidant treatment is a suitable and recommended treatment modality for severely burned children.