THE USE OF TILAPE SKIN IN THE BURNESS CICATRIATION PROCESS: AN INTEGRATIVE REVIEW

Abstract

Burns present themselves as a serious public health problem capable of generating temporary or permanent damage to their victims, requiring the use of efficient methods to circumvent this situation. In this sense, this research aimed to study the benefits of using tilapia skin in the healing process of burns. To contemplate this objective, an integrative review structured in the PICO strategy was developed using the descriptors: Burns; Biological Dressings and Healing/Wound Healing. The descriptors were applied in the LILACS, SciELO and PUBMED databases, from the time frame of 2017 to 2023, to capture only primary studies, in Portuguese, English and Spanish, aligned with the research objective. A total of 40,695 articles were obtained, after applying the inclusion criteria and aligning the research with the guiding question, the final sample of 07 articles was obtained. The selected studies indicate that the applicability of tilapia skin is efficient in the treatment of burns, standing out for its histological similarity to the composition of human skin. The literature indicates that its use facilitates and accelerates the healing process of burns, as well as reduces infection levels, with the reduction of dressing changes, and is also able to minimize patients' pain complaints. Given this scenario, it is perceived that the use of this method emerges as an alternative, innovative, promising and accessible means to contribute to current clinical practices regarding the treatment of burns.