Science a GoGo's Home Page Forums General Discussion General Science Discussion Forum Spray on skin cells for burn victims

Amazing! It's fantastic progress in the treatment of burns. This could become the techniques of the future. If you've ever been badly burned, chances are you've had months and months of traditional therapy with skin grafts and much scarring. This man's arm looks like new in just a few weeks. I hope it gets FDA approval quickly. Until then, there is an old remedy for burns involving egg whites that is really effective too. Be on your guard and don't get burned. Sounds like this guy has some friends who ought to put in jail for igniting the flames like they did. There are stupid butts in every gathering, though. When men get together around a campfire it just seems to ignite the stupid cells in their brain. He's lucky he wasn't killed.

thanks, and could you post the remedy?

At the risk of practicing medicine without a license, the treatment for second and third degree burns consists of spreading the area with lightly beaten egg white. It seals and protects the area, and scarring is much lessened. It is an old folk remedy, but it has merit, especially where access to modern burn treatment technology is limited or delayed. It's a first aid treatment and does not substitute for professional care. Just be careful breaking the eggs so you don't get any salmonella bacteria; use clean eggs.

that does sound like a prescribed treatment rather than it being a home remedy , but I know that you were simply repeating a home
remedy that you have heard of.

so there should be no risk.

my first thoughts were salmonella , and you addressed that.

I like the idea , the egg whites would form a shield against
airborne and adjacent bacteria spread to the wound.

my problem with it would be the lack of oxygen as the egg whites would also prevent oxygen from entering the wound.

I suppose you would need to reapply the remedy after a time has passed , would you know of any defined times for the repeat of this proposed treatment?

your a biologist , are egg whites oxygenated and if so
could the oxygen in the egg whites be a reason for any
positive results in using the remedy?

Lack of oxygen is not a problem. Egg whites are plenty permeable to oxygen. After all, the chick embryo lives in a matrix of egg white, and does okay with the oxygen part. I do not know when or how often this remedy is supposed to be applied, but I would assume that when the layer wears off it should be replenished. And we are talking about lightly beaten egg whites, not meringue. A thin layer of egg white is plenty permeable to oxygen. What the burned cells need is protection from the air. Once the air is blocked off, the pain is much less, as it coats the receptors that send the pain message. That is one reason why butter used to be a treatment for burns. Aside from the fact that it contains enzymes that are helpful in healing, the physical barrier that the oleaginous triglycerides provide helps relieve those raw nerve endings. I do NOT recommend using butter on burns. But raw egg whites I would use with a clear conscience.

Thank you Amaranth

did you know that you can purchase egg whites in liquid
and powered form?

100% LIQUID EGG WHITES

POWDERED EGG WHITES

I wonder if the powdered egg whites could be hydrated to
form a liquid to apply on burns.

Mayo Clinic has a article warning against the use of egg
whites on burns due to the risk of infection.
(the article does not define why any proposed infection could
occur)

http://www.mayoclinic.org/first-aid/first-aid-burns/basics/art-20056649

would you think that the pasteurized liquid egg whites
in the link above would remove or lessen the risk of infection?

I would think the pasteurized liquid egg white would be safe enough. I am familiar with the powdered dry egg whites, I have a can of them in my kitchen and use them to enhance omelets and sometimes to replace eggs in some baked goods. They rehydrate well and can be whipped just like fresh egg whites. I don't think they have any particular bacterial profile. I don't let them sit around, though, I use them right away when I rehydrate them. They are a wonderful convenience.

thats great news , so it might be possible for an emergency response team to have packages of this powder to mix and apply to burn victims in times of emergency where no medical facilities are available. ( distilled water only )

government contracts anyone?

and people could even store some of the liquid or powdered
egg whites to use as temporary relief.

I did see that you can also buy powered egg yolks , so
I suppose you could stir up a scrambled egg sandwich with
them in times that food is in need.

this might be a good post for the coming ice age thread.

thanks Amaranth for sharing your DIY and Professional experience in this thread.