Context:
The Indian Army has recently launched a skin bank facility.
Relevance:
Facts for Prelims
About Indian Army’s Skin Bank:
- Purpose:
- Launched to assist in the treatment of severe skin burn injuries and other skin-related conditions for service members and their families.
- Facility Details:
- The first-of-its-kind in the Armed Forces Medical Services, staffed by trained medical professionals, including plastic surgeons, tissue engineers, and specialized technicians.
- It functions as a centralized hub for the collection, processing, storage, and distribution of skin grafts, serving military medical centers nationwide.
What is a Skin Bank?
- A skin bank is a facility where skin from an eligible donor is taken, processed, and stored under appropriate temperatures for up to five years.
- Skin from a deceased person can be donated within six hours post-mortem.
- Anyone can donate skin, regardless of sex and blood group, provided they are at least 18 years old.
- Skin from individuals with conditions like AIDS, Hepatitis B & C, Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Skin Cancer, Active skin Disease, and Septicemia is considered unsuitable for donation.
- Donated skin is collected and processed over five to six weeks and then frozen until required.
- Typically preserved in 85% glycerol solution, stored between 4-5 degrees Celsius for up to five years.
- When a burn victim needs skin, a procedure called skin grafting is performed.
What is Skin Grafting?
- A procedure where healthy skin is transplanted to an area where the skin is damaged or missing.
- There are two main types of skin grafts:
- Autograft: Skin taken from another part of the patient’s own body.
- Allograft: Skin taken from a donor, often sourced from a skin bank.
- Any skin can be used on any patient, and within two to three weeks post-grafting, doctors can assess if the patient is accepting the graft.
-Source: India Today
