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Peer-reviewedCC BYEuropean burn journal

Blue-Light Photobiomodulation in Pediatric Burns: Inflammation, Healing, and Early Scar Outcomes in a Retrospective Historical Cohort.

  • Biagio Nicolosi1,2
  • Emanuele Buccione3
  • Lorenzo Drago4,5
  • Benedetta Virginia Difalco1
  • Hamilton Dollaku6
  • Michele Rossi7
  • Flavio Facchini8
  • Greta Ghizzardi9
  • Rosario Caruso5,10
  • Guido Ciprandi11
11 affiliations
  1. 1Health Professions Department, Meyer Children's Hospital IRCCS, 50139 Florence, Italy.
  2. 2AISLeC, Italian Nursing Association of Wound Care, 47923 Rimini, Italy.
  3. 3Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Local Health Authority 3 of Pescara, 65124 Pescara, Italy.
  4. 4UOC Laboratory of Clinical Medicine with Specialized Areas, IRCCS MultiMedica, 20138 Milan, Italy.
  5. 5Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan, 20133 Milan, Italy.
  6. 6Cardiac Rehabilitation Unit, IRCCS Don Gnocchi Hospital, 50143 Florence, Italy.
  7. 7Unit of Biostatistics, Golgi Cenci Foundation, 20081 Abbiategrasso, Italy.
  8. 8Simple Departmental Organizational Structure of Plastic Surgery and Burn Center, Meyer Children's Hospital IRCCS, 50139 Florence, Italy.
  9. 9Directorate of Nursing and Allied Health Professions, ASST di Lodi, 26900 Lodi, Italy.
  10. 10Health Professions Research and Evidence Transfer Unit, IRCCS MultiMedica, 20099 Sesto San Giovanni, Italy.
  11. 11Complex Unit of Plastic Surgery, University of Padua, 35128 Padua, Italy.
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Abstract

Background: Blue-light photobiomodulation (PBM) may support burn wound repair through modulation of early inflammatory responses, but comparative evidence in children remains limited. We examined associations between adjunctive PBM, early local inflammation, wound healing, and early scar quality in pediatric burns. Methods: This single-center retrospective historical cohort study included 84 children treated in 2024: 50 historical controls receiving standard care and 34 patients receiving standard care plus blue-light PBM after its introduction into routine practice. The primary outcome was the exploratory composite inflammation score at 72 h, adjusted for the pre-exposure 24 h score and clinical covariates. Secondary outcomes included time to complete re-epithelialization, Vancouver Scar Scale (VSS) score approximately three months after complete re-epithelialization, unplanned dressing changes, and autologous skin grafting. Documented PBM-related adverse events were also reviewed. Results: PBM was associated with a lower adjusted 72 h inflammation score (mean difference -2.70 points, 95% CI -3.71 to -1.68), shorter healing time (-5.98 days, 95% CI -8.68 to -3.28), and lower VSS scores (-1.46 points, 95% CI -2.46 to -0.47). The adjusted odds of unplanned dressing changes were lower with PBM (OR 0.25, 95% CI 0.07-0.79), whereas the association with skin grafting was not statistically significant (OR 0.63, 95% CI 0.17-2.16). No PBM-attributable adverse events were documented. Conclusions: These hypothesis-generating associations require prospective confirmation and do not establish a causal treatment effect. The sample size and retrospective recording limit conclusions about safety.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{nicolosi2026bluelight,
  title = {{Blue-Light Photobiomodulation in Pediatric Burns: Inflammation, Healing, and Early Scar Outcomes in a Retrospective Historical Cohort.}},
  author = {Biagio Nicolosi and Emanuele Buccione and Lorenzo Drago and Benedetta Virginia Difalco and Hamilton Dollaku and Michele Rossi and Flavio Facchini and Greta Ghizzardi and Rosario Caruso and Guido Ciprandi},
  journal = {European burn journal},
  year = {2026},
  month = sep,
  doi = {10.3390/ebj7040050},
  url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42924818},
  note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Blue-Light Photobiomodulation in Pediatric Burns: Inflammation, Healing, and Early Scar Outcomes in a Retrospective Historical Cohort.
AU  - Biagio Nicolosi
AU  - Emanuele Buccione
AU  - Lorenzo Drago
AU  - Benedetta Virginia Difalco
AU  - Hamilton Dollaku
AU  - Michele Rossi
AU  - Flavio Facchini
AU  - Greta Ghizzardi
AU  - Rosario Caruso
AU  - Guido Ciprandi
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/09/28
JO  - European burn journal
DO  - 10.3390/ebj7040050
UR  - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42924818
AB  - Background: Blue-light photobiomodulation (PBM) may support burn wound repair through modulation of early inflammatory responses, but comparative evidence in children remains limited. We examined associations between adjunctive PBM, early local inflammation, wound healing, and early scar quality in pediatric burns. Methods: This single-center retrospective historical cohort study included 84 children treated in 2024: 50 historical controls receiving standard care and 34 patients receiving standard care plus blue-light PBM after its introduction into routine practice. The primary outcome was the exploratory composite inflammation score at 72 h, adjusted for the pre-exposure 24 h score and clinical covariates. Secondary outcomes included time to complete re-epithelialization, Vancouver Scar Scale (VSS) score approximately three months after complete re-epithelialization, unplanned dressing changes, and autologous skin grafting. Documented PBM-related adverse events were also reviewed. Results: PBM was associated with a lower adjusted 72 h inflammation score (mean difference -2.70 points, 95% CI -3.71 to -1.68), shorter healing time (-5.98 days, 95% CI -8.68 to -3.28), and lower VSS scores (-1.46 points, 95% CI -2.46 to -0.47). The adjusted odds of unplanned dressing changes were lower with PBM (OR 0.25, 95% CI 0.07-0.79), whereas the association with skin grafting was not statistically significant (OR 0.63, 95% CI 0.17-2.16). No PBM-attributable adverse events were documented. Conclusions: These hypothesis-generating associations require prospective confirmation and do not establish a causal treatment effect. The sample size and retrospective recording limit conclusions about safety.
SN  - 2673-1991
ER  -