BACKGROUND A large number of humans are burned each year, for example, one article, Burn Wound Coverings - A Review by G.B. Park, appearing in Biomater. Med. Devices, Artif. Organs 6(1), 1-35, 1978 states that in the U.S. more than 2 million persons are burned seriously enough each year to need medical attention. It further states that some 70,000 persons each year require hospitalization, with 10,000 persons dying as a result of their injury.

The type of treatment for a burn is determined by the degree of the burn and the amount of surface area affected. With a serious burn one mode of treatment involves debridement, i.e, the removal of burned tissue. Debridement can involve removal by surgery, mechanical means, or biochemical means. The latter can involve enzymatic debridement using an enzymatic debriding agent. Such an agent, usually in the form of an ointment, is a proteolytic enzyme that will selectively digest necrotic tissue without harming adjacent viable tissue. The ointment is applied generally on the day of admission. Also the other debridement techniques can generally be used on the day of admission. Often involved in the debridement is the use of a tank filled with plain tap water maintained at a suitable temperature. Strict sterile technique is used in the room in which the tank is kept. Once the human is in the tank, any dressings are removed and the burn cleaned and debrided. Afterwards the human is removed and covered with a sterile sheet and transferred to an adjacent dressing room of proper temperature and humidity.

Removal of the burned tissue can cause certain problems. Human skin, in addition to being an effective barrier against harmful external materials, prevents the body from losing its water. Such water loss, according to the article by Park, can cause "intense catabolism" which "manifests itself as increased heat production, increased water loss and nitrogen consumption, weight loss, negative nitrogen balance and loss of other cellular constituents derived largely from muscle". Intense catabolism can be fatal and thus should be minimized or controlled.

Another problem, again according to the article by Park, is that "the preparation of a clean viable tissue area suitable for grafting is all- important and many lives may be lost by not securing a good take of a first graft in an extensively burned patent".

Articles which describe in greater detail the foregoing treatment and problems include the foEowing: "Burn Injuries. Initial Evaluation and Treatment" Luterman, CUTIS 22(4):437-42, Oct. 78; Care of the Burn Wound, Yarborough, M. F., CUTIS 22(4):447-52, Oct. 78; Advances in Fluid Therapy and the Early Care of the Burn Patient, Pruitt, B.A. Jr., World J. Surg. 2(2):139-50, Mar. 78; Emergency Burn Management, Gursel, E. et al. JACEP 7(5):209-12, May 78.

The use of water during debridement could be less than desirable. Water can be difficult to maintain in a pure state. Microorganisms can easily grow in it. Yet chemicals, such as chlorine, used to prevent such growth could adversely effect unprotected tissue. Water containing microorganisms can facilitate the invasion of the body with harmful results. Thus, the burn victim, lacking his normal skin barrier, can be infected by the water contacting his unprotected tissue. Further, the water could adversely affect the preparation of a clean viable tissue area suitable for grafting by extracting helpful components from the contacting tissue.

While much of the foregoing discussion is expressed as a treatment of a human, no such limitation is intended. The burn treatment claimed hereinafter by the applicant is applicable to burn victims which includes animals, while the latter also includes humans.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The novel method of treating a burn victim involves contacting the victim with a member of a family of materials popularly known as synthetic blood or blood substitutes, but not necessarily limited to these. Included in the foregoing classification are substantially fluorinated carbon materials, including perfluorocarbons, having an oxygen transport ability, emulsions of substantially fluorinated carbon materials having an oxygen transport ability, perfluorocarbons and combinations thereof. Mono or di-brominated derivatives of the foregoing fluorinated carbon materials are also useful. The advantages of the blood material are that it is non-toxic; can be highly saturated with oxygen; can be easily kept sterile and can be reused. It also can be easily maintained at a particular temperature, thereby providing for the victim's comfort. Because it can be highly saturated with oxygen, it promotes the

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healing of tissue. Further, because of its physical and chemical properties, a blood material may not extract a component from the tissue which is helpful for successful grafting. Also it could help avoid intense catabolism.

Also another embodiment of the invention is the use of a dressing containing the synthetic blood material which dressing comes in contact with the burn. A dressing can be particularly useful for a small area burn. Other embodiments are disclosed hereinafter.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Useful preferred perfluorinated materials and methods for preparing them are described in the following U.S. patents: 4,105,798; 3,911,138 and 3,962,439. The use of one particular member of the perfluorinated material class, i.e., perfluorodeealin, as a blood cell substitute is described in particular detail in an article "Perfluorodeealin as a Red Cell Substitute",

Clark, L.C., Blood Substitutes and Plasma Expanders, page 69-80. However, the substantially fluorinated or perfluorinated materials used in the treatment of a human suffering from a burn are not limited to those having a certain vapor pressure range as required if used as a synthetic blood. The useful substantially fluorinated or perfluorinated materials are those which are generally liquids at temperatures and pressures, including ambient temperatures and pressures, suitable for contacting a victim.

Examples of some fluorinated materials suitable for use with this invention can include those which are broadly described as cyclic substantially fluorinated or perfluorohydrocarbons including the substantially fluorinated or perfluoro derivatives of such Cg-C.g polycyclic compounds as bicyclononanes (e.g., bicyclo[3.3.1.] nonane, 2,6-dimethylbieyclo[3.3.n nonane or 3- methylbicyelo[3.3.1] nonane), adamantane, methyl and dimethyladamantane, ethyladamantane. tetrahydrodicyclopentadiene, methyl and dimethylbicyclooctanes, ethylmethyladamantane, ethyldimethyladamantane, tetrahydrobinor-S, methyldiadamantane, triethyladamantane, trimethyldiadamantane, pinane, eamphane, 1,4,6, 9-dimethanodecaline, bieyclo[4.3.2] undecane, bicyclo[5.3.0.1 decane and the like, or mixtures thereof). Other examples include perfluorotributyl amine, perfluoro-2- butyltetrahydrofuran and other commercially available perfluoroethers. While some of the foregoing compounds are solid at ambient temperature they are

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soluble in ones which are liquid at ambient temperature and such a mixture could be used. Perfluorinated C„ or lower materials and up to C, _g or higher materials can be used in this invention. Mixtures of various different perfluoroinated materials can also be used.

Perfluorinated means that substantially all the hydrogen atoms of the carbon materials have been replaced by fluorine atoms. But while the foregoing perfluorinated materials are preferred, carbon materials which are substantially fluorinated can also be used in this invention. "Substantially fluorinated" indicates that most of the hydrogen atoms have been replaced by fluorine atoms, and that further replacement does not substantially increase the oxygen transport ability of the material. It is believed that this level is reached when about 80-90% of the hydrogen atoms have been replaced by fluorine atoms. In the aforementioned U.S. patents, i.e., 3,911,138 ' and 4,105,798, the ability to transport oxygen is related to the solubility of oxygen in the materials. These U.S. patents suggest that the perfluorinated materials will absorb 10-100 cc of oxygen per 100 cc of material. The foregoing solubilities are at 25° C and 760 milliliters of mercury. The substantially fluorinated carbon materials which can be used with this inveniton will have similar oxygen transport abilities.

Also certain of the fluorine atoms of foregoing materailas may be substituted by other halogen atoms such as bromine. Included among these compounds are, for example, monobrominated compounds such as 1-bromc- pentadecafluoro-4-isopropylcyclohexane and l-bromo-pentadeeafluoro-3- isopropylcyelopentane, or dibrominated derivatives thereof. As indicated, perfluorinated means that substantially all the hydrogen atoms of the carbon material have been replaced by fluoride atoms. It is preferred that at least 95% of the hydrogen atoms have been replaced, more preferably at least 98% and even more preferably 100%.

Oxygen can be added to the material by many different means; one example of which would be to bubble 100% oxygen through the material.

Also, the substantially fluorinated carbon material used in the treatment of a burn victim can be in the form of an emulsion containing a substantially fluorinated carbon material, or brominated derivative thereof, water and a suitable emulsifier, and as an option other physiologically

acceptable materials. The high oxygen content of the material can prevent or reduce microorganism growth in the water of the emulsion. Preparation of such an emulsion, selection of an emulsifier, and relative amounts of the components are discussed in greater detail in the aforementioned U.S. Patent 4,105,798, which is incorporated herein by reference. The emulsion used in practicing this invention can also contain more than one kind of substantially fluorinated carbon material. Thus a combination of emulsion and substantially fluorinated carbon material or brominated derivatives thereof can contain only one particular material or several different materials. In practicing this invention any medicine which is used concurrently to treat a burn area should be inert to the substantially fluorinated carbon material or brominated derivatives thereof, emulsion or combination used. Examples of medicines which have been used previously include silver nitrate used to prevent or eliminate infection and the previously mentioned enzymatic debriding agent. Prior testing could determine whether the medicine and the substantially fluorinated carbon material or brominated derivatives thereof, or emulsion or combination are inert to each other. Also if the burn is caused by a chemical, the harmful chemical has to be completely removed from the victim prior to the use of the substantially fluorinated carbon material, emulsion or combination thereof.

The contacting of a burn victim with a material selected from the group consisting of a substantially fluorinated carbon material or brominated derivatives thereof, emulsion containing the material and combinations thereof can occur by various means. For example, one embodiment involves the immersion of the victim in a bath of the material. The material in the bath is maintained at a suitable temperature for the victim's comfort. If necessary, the material, while in use or afterwards, is recirculated through cleansing means which remove tissue and other material coming from the victim. The immersion can also involve the immersion of only a portion of the victim, e.g., a hand, an arm or leg. The length of time of immersion depends in part, on the condition of the victim and the judgment of a medical practitioner. One advantage of using the aforementioned materials for contacting, and in particular via immersion, is that it also may assist in the control of body water lost through the exposed tissue, and thereby avoid intense catabolism.

The contacting of the victim with a material selected from the group consisting of a substantially fluorinated carbon material or brominated derivatives thereof, an emulsion containing the carbon material and a combination can also occur by using a dressing containing the material. The substantially fluorinated carbon material, or brominated derivative thereof, particularly if its vapor pressure is relatively low so that it does not evaporate readily, contained in the dressing would help avoid a sticking problem. The liquid would lubricate the tissue and dressing and avoid any problem caused by drying. The dressing can be applied to the burn itself or can be e.g., a sheet which contacts most of the victim. "Dressing" as used herein is broadly defined to include any material suitable for coming in contact with a victim. While one may consider dressing equivalent to gauze in the sense of loosely woven cotton surgical dressing, no such limitation is intended.

The contacting can also occur by using a plastic bag enclosing e.g., a burned hand, while having the bag filled with the aforementioned material. Other contacting can include the use of a sponge, a foam, a spray or a gel containing the blood type material. Contacting can also occur with the use of freeze-dried pigskin or other suitable animal material in the treatment of humans. Normally the pigskin has to be reconstituted prior to use as a xenograft by soaking in sterile saline or some other suitable solution. Instead of the sterile saline or other solution, the pigskin is reconstituted using the substantially fluorinated carbon material or brominated derivative thereof or emulsion or combination thereof.

Another purpose of the contacting can be to flush the underlying wound bed prior to grafting. Apparently, any debris in the wound site discourages successful grafting. And in many eases any residue of the blood type material left on the wound bed does not interfere with the grafting.

"Contacting" as used herein denotes an external use in contrast to the internal use of certain perfluorinated materials and/or emulsions as a blood substitute. The contacting can include non-burn surface of a victim as well as involving only the burn area.