Skin For Life: Skin Donation And Skin Banking

Abstract

Donate Skin Save Lives. The body’s main defence mechanism is its largest organ, the SKIN, which is destroyed in burn cases and leaves the body vulnerable to infectious invaders. Patients are at risk for infection, fluid loss and eventually death if the burnt region is not immediately covered with appropriate skin substitutes. Use of Cadaveric Skin (skin donated after death) improves the chance of survival by 50% as it shields burn victims against infections and helps in faster recovery with less pain and fewer scars. India, the second most populous country in the world has an estimated annual burn incidence of 6-7 million, which is the second largest group of injuries after road accidents and most of them are from the lower or middle income group. Therefore, it is essential to develop a cost-effective method of treating the affected population.  In such situation, cadaveric skin harvested from the deceased person is the efficacious and most suitable option, in contrast to synthetic skin substitutes. Despite being a temporary covering such skin is crucial since it promotes the reproduction & growth of the patient’s own skin. Many patients who could not have been saved without cadaveric donor skin can be saved now. Hence, the Skin Bank is a beneficial fortune for providing cadaveric allograft skin. Voluntary Skin Donation and Skin Bank are the cornerstone of safe skin transplantation. But due to lack of awareness of this facility and shortage of enough banks in our country, we are losing patients everyday. According to the report of National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), 2020, thirty-five Indians died in fire accidents daily between 2016 and 2020. Skin transplantation is not limited to the cases of burn accidents, but with the country's changing health needs and evolved facilities, this has expanded to cover the patients being treated with critical skin issues, acid attack victims and similar interventions. But several reports have attested to a shortage of donor skin across the burn healthcare facilities in India. Therefore, the purpose of this study is twofold, firstly to assess the knowledge of Skin Donation and Skin Banking among the general population and secondly, to enhance the need of skin donation and skin bank to ensure its accessibility and availability at the point of demand. “After all every life counts.”

• Methods: A validated self administered questionnaire based study was utilized to acquire assessment of the adult general, population knowledge, awareness and attitude toward skin donation, to help solve skin shortages due to lack of skin banks in India especially in northern region. The participants of 57 were selected randomly in selected urban cities of Northern India Data was collected by using semi- structured knowledge questionnaire, which consists of 15 questions of knowledge regarding Banking and Skin Donation.


• Results: A total of 57 individuals completed the questionnaire over the period of two months from June till July, 2022. The study shows that, out of 57 people, 79% had inadequate level of knowledge, 21% had moderate level knowledge, and none of them had adequate level of knowledge and Awareness regarding skin banking.


• Conclusion: The analysis of the study indicates that there is a lack of sufficient knowledge and awareness regarding the life saving concept of skin Donation and Skin Banking. Thus, the study emphasizes the need of active support and participation of the health-care professionals, educational Institutions and the alert citizens in raising the public awareness regarding the Skin Donation and Skin Banking, which can help in saving lives of several young and productive members of our society.