Starting in 1963, Dr. Saliba and his associates discovered that heparin had other beneficial effects besides anti-coagulation. In treating burns, heparin can be applied on the burn surface, inserted into the burn blisters, injected into the body, and inhaled into the lungs. For minor burns, heparin use on the burn surface and into the blisters is often adequate treatment. For more severe burns, heparin is additionally injected into the body. Burns with lung involvement may also benefit from inhalation therapy.

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In current burn treatment, patients are typically sedated with narcotics, often require a respirator to aid breathing, become swollen from large doses of I.V. fluids, and may be subjected to multiple surgical procedures, including skin grafts. These surgical procedures sometimes lead to blood loss severe enough to warrant blood transfusions. Healing is prolonged and the final result may be rough, uncomfortable skin.

The use of heparin in burn victims has been shown to:

• Stop burn pain and inflammation.
• Maintain blood flow by preventing clots and making new vessels.
• Restore lost burn tissue with granulation tissue and regulate collagen.
• Enhance and shorten healing, largely without surgery.
• Eliminate scars, by producing smooth new skin.
• Increase survival rate and enhance quality of life after recovery.
• Reduce cost, by reducing medicines needed, procedures, hospital stay and care.

Compared to current burn treatment, the use of heparin has improved and simplified burn care and reduced the time and cost of treatment. (See photographic evidence of heparin therapy in the Case Studies section.)

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No, heparin is not used in every burn patient. Heparin use is contraindicated in:

• Actively bleeding patients.
• Trauma-involved patients with a potential to bleed.
• Personal or familial hemorrhagic diathesis (hereditary bleeding problems).
• Patients who have a thrombocytopenia (reduced number of platelets).
• Active peptic ulcer patients.
• Patients allergic to heparin.

These are the known side effects and complications with the use of heparin. Your doctor will consider the use of heparin in your case and inform you of these potential problems. Your doctor will want to obtain your consent when using heparin in the treatment of your burns.

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Heparin therapy greatly reduces medicines needed, procedures performed, complications, length of hospital stay, and, hence, the associated costs. Using heparin according to the protocol, the total cost of burn care may be roughly one-tenth or less the cost of conventional burn treatment. Heparin therapy has been found to be affordable in all countries where it has been used, including developing nations.

This protocol (LINK) is available by request to doctors. It is also available by request to the general public. Burn victims or their families may wish to submit this protocol to their doctor and request that he/she become familiar with the details of heparin treatment.

WHERE CAN I SEE EVIDENCE AND OBTAIN SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION?

Visual evidence is presented in the Case Studies section of this website. The general scientific evidence supporting heparin use can be found in the Science section. The burn studies and non-burn studies published in medical journals and in proceedings of medical meetings are listed in the Bibliography section.

CAN I HAVE MY BURNS TREATED AT THE SALIBA BURNS INSTITUTE?

The SBI is an outreach and educational forum for the dissemination of heparin burn treatment information. The SBI currently does not treat burns.