Determining burn depth: clinical assessment and laser Doppler imaging]

Early accurate determination of burn depth is important to determine the optimal treatment of burns. The method most used to determine burn depth is clinical assessment. This is a cheap method, but not the most accurate. Laser Doppler imaging (LDI) is a technique with which a more accurate (>95%) estimate of burn depth can be made by measuring the dermal perfusion. It is hypothesised that the introduction of LDI will lead to quicker decisions as to whether or not to operate, possibly leading to a shorter length of hospital stay and lower medical costs. To test this hypothesis, a multicentre randomized controlled trial is presently being conducted in the Dutch burn centres.