Studies In Burns

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Abstract
Simultaneous measurement was made of the water content of, and the transmission of water through burn eschars. Eschars appeared to undergo a maturation process characterized by: immediate postburn dehydration; progressive rehydration; repletion; overhydration; evaporation of that water in excess of eschar binding capacity; and equilibration. Simultaneously, eschars functioned to transmit water in amounts which decreased until equilibration was reached, after which the transmission rate was relatively stable and unchanging. The transmission of water through eschar was inversely proportional to the water content of eschar until equilibration had been reached At any time postburn, provided the eschar was not fully hydrated, any increase in eschar water content was associated with a proportional decrease in eschar water transmission. Perhaps the rehydration of eschar results from the reconstitution of those protein-water binding sites not totally destroyed by burning,, Water transmission through eschar may be diminished by technics which increase the ability of the eschar to bind water, or which re-introduce lipid into the protein-water matrix.

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