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Early accurate determination of burn depth is important to determine the optimal treatment of burns. The method most used to determine burn depth is clinical assessment. This is a cheap method, but not the most accurate.

Laser Doppler imaging (LDI) is a technique with which a more accurate (>95%) estimate of burn depth can be made by measuring the dermal perfusion. It is hypothesised that the introduction of LDI will lead to quicker decisions as to whether or not to operate, possibly leading to a shorter length of hospital stay and lower medical costs. To test this hypothesis, a multicentre randomized controlled trial is presently being conducted in the Dutch burn centres.

Conflict of interest: E. Middelkoop received financial reimbursement from Meda Pharma for lecturing. The institute where she works received study funding from the Dutch Burns Foundation and the NutsOhra Foundation. Financial support: none declared.