Monitoring wound healing in minor burns—A novel approach

•The use of bioimpedance spectroscopy (BIS) for monitoring wound healing is explored.•BIS resistance measures can be used to monitor burn wound healing.•BIS phase angle should have further investigation in the assessment of acute burn wound healing. Assessment of minor burn wound closure is predominately determined by visual inspection and clinical specialist assessment, which remains largely a subjective analysis and results may vary depending on the clinician’s experience. Bioimpedance spectroscopy (BIS) is an instrument that has a demonstrated ability to objectively monitor the wound healing process in various patient populations but has not yet been used in acute burn wounds. The aim of the pilot study was to examine whether the BIS technique is a valid measure of wound healing. Localised BIS resistance and phase angle triplicate measures, of minor limb burns, were collected on two serial occasions. Circumference limb measures were taken at the localised burn site to determine a truncated limb volume. Proportional-odds ordered logistic regression analyses determined resistance at zero frequency (R0, indicative of edema) and resistance of total body fluid (Rinf) were significantly associated with healing after adjustment for the influence of surgery. A one unit increase in R0 and Rinf increased the odds of wound healing by 6% and 5% respectively (p