News Excerpt:
The Indian Army has established a new skin bank facility to treat severe burn injuries and other skin conditions for service personnel and their families.
What is skin bank:
- A skin bank is a facility where the skin of deceased persons is donated.
- After being collected from a donor, the skin is tested for infections, processed, and frozen until it's needed.
- When a burn victim requires skin for their injuries, a surgical procedure called skin grafting is conducted.
Army Hospital Skin Bank:
- The state-of-the-art skin bank facility is opened at the Army Hospital (Research & Referral), New Delhi.
- The facility offers the latest modern treatment for severe burn injuries received by armed forces personnel and their families.
- The facility is staffed with trained medical professionals, including plastic surgeons, tissue engineers and specialized technicians.
- The skin bank will serve as a centralized hub for the collection, processing, storage and distribution of skin grafts, providing a "critical resource" for military medical centers across the country.
- This will be the first of its kind to be established within the Armed Forces Medical Services to cater to the three kinds of patients the Army hospitals see:
- injuries from domestic fire accidents,
- electrical incidents,
- kerosene warmers jawans and officers use to keep themselves warm at high altitudes.
Other Skin Banks in India:
- Private skin banks have existed for a long time in many parts of the country. The armed forces, however, find it difficult to source skin from them when recipients need it.
- In 2023, North India's first skin bank was established in Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi. Other skin bank centers in the country are in Maharashtra, Chennai, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha.
How is the skin stored in a bank:
- Before skin harvesting, a blood sample of the deceased person is taken to test for infections like HIV, viral markers and Hepatitis.
- The skin is generally preserved in 85% glycerol solution. It is stored between 4-5 degrees Celsius for up to 5 years.
- Glycerol is a colorless, odorless, and viscous liquid with a sweet taste, containing three hydroxyl (-OH) groups.
- It is derived from various sources, such as natural fats and oils, and is used in various applications.
About storing skin in skin bank:
- The skin stored in the skin bank should be donated within 6 months from the time of death.
- There are 16 skin banks in India with 7 in Maharashtra.
- Anyone can donate skin irrespective of sex and blood group. The donor's minimum age should be 18 years.
- However, the skin of persons with AIDS, Hepatitis B & C, Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs), skin cancer, active skin disease and septicemia are considered unfit for donation.
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Skin grafting:
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