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A recent study found ibuprofen did not raise bleeding risk or compromise skin graft success in patients undergoing skin grafting surgery for acute burn injury.

Ibuprofen therapy did not elevate bleeding risk or compromise skin graft success in patients who underwent skin grafting surgery for acute burn injury, according to results from a retrospective study published online in the Journal of Burn Care & Research.

“Ibuprofen, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), can increase the risk of bleeding, a significant concern in burn surgery, which often involves substantial blood loss,” wrote corresponding author T. Justin Gillenwater, MD, of the Southern California Regional Burn Center at Los Angeles General Medical Center, and study coauthors. “These findings suggest that ibuprofen can be safely integrated as part of a multimodal pain management strategy for burn patients, while potentially reducing opioid requirements and minimizing risk of addiction for this patient population.”

Medical Record Review

The researchers reviewed medical records for 53 adults treated from January to July 2024 at the Southern California Regional Burn Center. All participants sustained acute burns requiring skin grafting. Twenty-four patients received scheduled ibuprofen for at least 48 hours before and after surgery; the remaining 29 received opioids and acetaminophen for pain management.

According to the chart review, baseline characteristics in the ibuprofen group and non-ibuprofen group—mean total body surface area burned (14.3 ± 12.1% vs 12.3 ± 9.3%) and the use of mesh grafts (79% in both cohorts)—were comparable.

Key Findings

The study found that mean perioperative transfusion requirements were lower in the ibuprofen group (3.2 ± 2.8 units of packed red blood cells) than in the non-ibuprofen group (4.6 ± 3.1 units). Skin graft failure, defined as the need for re‑grafting, occurred in two patients managed without ibuprofen and in none of those receiving it. Rates of postoperative seroma, hematoma, and infection were similar across both groups, and no instances of gastrointestinal bleeding or hypersensitivity reactions were reported. Hospital length of stay averaged 15.9 days for the ibuprofen group versus 20.2 days for the non-ibuprofen group.

Support for Ibuprofen Use

“Our findings support the potential use of ibuprofen in burn injury management without heightened concern for bleeding or graft complications, although the literature remains limited to make conclusive claims,” the authors concluded. “Future research should investigate the effects of other NSAID agents and involve larger, randomized controlled trials to support these findings.”