Influencing factors and their predictive value of skin graft survival after Meek grafting in severe burn patients

Objective: To investigate the influencing factors and their predictive value of skin graft survival after Meek grafting in severe burn patients. Methods: A retrospective case-control study was conducted in 115 severe burn patients (95 males, 20 females, aged 1-74 years) who met the inclusion criteria and received Meek grafting in the First Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University (the Third Military Medical University) from January 2013 to December 2019. The patients were divided into good skin graft survival group with skin graft survival rate≥70% (68 cases) and poor skin graft survival group with skin graft survival rate the cut-off value group and independent risk factor≤the cut-off value group with the incidence of poor skin graft survival after Meek grafting compared using the chi-square test, and the relative risk of poor skin graft survival after Meek grafting was calculated. Results: Before 1∶1 PSM, there were no statistically significant differences in gender, age, body mass index, complication of inhalation injury, time from injury to operation, preoperative cystatin C level, preoperative albumin level, preoperative neutrophil, preoperative hemoglobin level of patients between the two groups (P>0.05); the full-thickness burn area and burn index of patients in poor skin graft survival group were significantly higher than those in good skin graft survival group (Z=-2.672, -2.882, P 0.05); the preoperative platelet count and the platelet count on the first, third, and fifth day after operation of patients in poor skin graft survival group were significantly lower than those in good skin graft survival group (Z=-3.428, -2.940, t=-2.427, -2.316, P 98×109/L group (χ2=10.376, P 98×109/L group, patients in preoperative platelet count≤98×109/L group had a relative risk of poor skin graft survival after Meek grafting of 2.211 (95% confidence interval=1.263-3.870). Conclusions: Preoperative platelet count is an independent risk factor affecting the skin graft survival after Meek grafting in severe burn patients and has a good predictive value. Meek grafting should be performed with caution when the preoperative platelet count of patients is≤98×109/L.