Use of cultured human epidermal keratinocytes for allografting burns and conditions for temporary banking of the cultured allografts.

Five children who suffered burns clinically regarded as full skin thickness loss were grafted with cultured allogeneic skin from newborn prepuce. The wounds had remained open and infected without healing for about 20 days before the patients were received in the burn unit. To avoid losing surviving deep epidermal cells the wounds were débrided but not deeply excised and, a few days before allografting, they were washed with isodine solution and sterile water, and treated with silvadene cream application.