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Slaphappyslamie t1_j48ea92 wrote

Burn nurse here. Fish skin is rarely if ever used in the US. We have a reliable supply of cadaver human skin that is better suited to the job. Xeno (animal skin) or allo (cadaver skin) grafts are used as a temporizing measure to allow newly burned skin to partial heal before autografting (a patients own skin) can be done. In severe cases a small Amount of a patients skin cells can be harvested and reproduced in a lab to make 2-8 cell thick sheets of skin. This process is extremely expensive and resource intensive. Products like tilapia skin would still be expensive (medical grade anything is expensive) but they can be lifesavers in countries without access to cadaver skin

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Kingofthe4est t1_j48u6y8 wrote

Thank you for an intelligent and relevant comment. Also for what you do.

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fuzzzell t1_j49m910 wrote

Great answer! Thanks for taking the time!

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bn1979 t1_j49s0up wrote

I saw a show where they treated a horribly burned dog with fish skin. It was pretty wild.

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Slaphappyslamie t1_j4aepfz wrote

Didn’t even think about the applications to veterinary medicine. Very cool indeed!

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malary1234 t1_j4bo9z4 wrote

Oh yeah it’s great especially when they have alllll over burns. But I will always reach for Biafine before anything else when it comes to burns

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Freak-Wency t1_j4a6owb wrote

  1. Thank you for the relevant information.
  2. I learned that tomatoes are excellent for everyday burns. If you cut a tomato and rub it on the burn for a few seconds, then follow it up with aloe vera, in a few hours, there will be no trace of it. I don't know if this is widely known, or there is some limit of use- only 1st or 1st and 2nd degree burns, but wonder if you do.
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[deleted] t1_j4afqip wrote

[deleted]

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Freak-Wency t1_j4e46ap wrote

I love that your confidence and the downvotes I got are based on assumptions, and that you couldn't just try a quick google search. There are so many results for it. I don't understand reddit sometimes.

Oh well.

Anyway, I have seen this in action. My wife saved her mother from a whole pot of boiling water, which got poured on her instead. She rubbed it with tomato (cut it in half, then rub it for a few secs), then follow w aloe vera.

I also heard my neighbor scream. I went over there to find that she grabbed the bottom of a pan (she was very high). She was freaking out because she's a massage therapist, and was afraid about not working.

We did the same thing, and there was only one small burnt spot- we missed it with the tomato in our haste.

I first heard the method from someone from rural Guatemala.

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Icyrow t1_j4aah9y wrote

i just scalded my foot quite badly, as in, maybe hand sized blister on foot. 2nd degree burn.

first thing they did is say that the wound is naturally clean to begin with, adding anything to it is bad.

some hospitals leave the blister, they deroofed mine (basically pierce it with clean scissors and cut all the skin off before adding a mesh and then wrapping it.

i've had to get it rewrapped 3 times now. if you're reading the above comment wondering, please just go get help, not everyone is in a circumstance that they are able to, but burns are no joke, just immediately cool it down with something clean and room temp and then go to the hospital

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Slaphappyslamie t1_j4af5tg wrote

Keep it clean, dry, and covered. The wound bed should be kept moist and you can treat it with any antibiotic cream, xeroform (a ‘greasy’ gauze dressing), or silvadene cream. A few weeks of good wound care and staying off the foot, and you should be fine. Watch out for any signs of infection, and remember acetaminophen and ibuprofen are great for pain control if it is safe for you to take those medications.

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