THURSDAY, March 20 (HealthDay News) -- Artiss, a fibrin sealant used to attach skin grafts in burn patients, has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Fibrin sealants are medical adhesives that contain two proteins -- fibrinogen and thrombin -- that are critical to blood clotting. Artiss contains lower amounts of thrombin than similar adhesives, giving surgeons more time to align grafts before they begin adhering to the skin.

The blood proteins are obtained from human plasma, which is purified and treated to thwart viruses before use.

Artiss was clinically tested on 138 patients, each of whom had two wound sites. One wound on each patient was grafted using Artiss, the other with surgical staples. The trials showed that Artiss performed as well as staples, the FDA said.

Side effects of Artiss included bleeding and fluid collection in the tissues, which are common reactions after skin grafts, the agency said.

Artiss is manufactured by Baxter International.

More information

The FDA has more about this approval.