Er:YAG laser vs. sharp debridement in management of chronic wounds: Effects on pain and bacterial load

Chronic wounds affect roughly 6.5 million patients in the US annually. Current standard of therapy entails weekly sharp debridement. However, the sharp technique is associated with significant pain, while having minimal impact on the bioburden. Our study proposes the Er:YAG laser as an alternative method of debridement that may decrease procedural pain, reduce bioburden, and potentially improve overall healing. This pilot study was performed as a prospective, randomized, controlled, crossover clinical trial, containing two groups: (1) one group underwent single laser debridement session first, followed by single sharp debridement session one week later; and (2) the other group underwent single sharp debridement session first, followed by single laser debridement session one week later. Variables analyzed included pain during debridement, pre‐ and post‐debridement wound sizes, pre‐ and post‐debridement bacterial loads and patient preference. Twenty‐two patients were enrolled (12 patients in Group 1, plus 10 patients in Group 2). The mean pain score for patients undergoing laser debridement was 3.0 ± 1.7 vs. 4.8 ± 2.6 for those undergoing sharp debridement (p = 0.003). The mean percent change in wound size 1‐week post‐laser debridement was ?20.8% ± 80.1%, as compared with ?36.7% ± 54.3% 1‐week post‐sharp debridement (p = 0.6). The percentage of patients who had a bacterial load in the low/negative category increased from 27.3% to 59.1% immediately after laser debridement (p = 0.04), vs. 54.5% to 68.2% immediately after sharp debridement (p = 0.38). Moreover, there was a sustained decrease in bacterial load 1‐week post‐laser debridement, as compared with no sustained decrease 1‐week post‐sharp debridement (p < 0.02). Overall, 52.9% of patients preferred laser debridement vs. 35.3% for sharp debridement. We believe that Er:YAG laser serves as a promising technology in chronic wounds, functioning as a potentially superior alternative to sharp debridement, the current standard of therapy.     

Handheld fluorescence imaging device detects subclinical wound infection in an asymptomatic patient with chronic diabetic foot ulcer: a case report

Chronic wounds are a significant burden to global patient and health care infrastructures, and there is a need for better methods of early wound diagnosis and treatment. Traditional diagnosis of chronic wound infection by pathogenic bacteria, using clinical signs and symptoms, is based on visual inspection under white light and microbiological sampling (e.g. swabbing and/or biopsy) of the wound, which are subjective and suboptimal. Diagnosing microbial infection based on traditional clinical signs and symptoms in wounds of asymptomatic patients is especially challenging at the bedside. Bacteria are invisible to the unaided eye and wound sampling for diagnostic testing can cause unacceptable delays in diagnosis and treatment. To address this problem, we developed a new prototype handheld, portable fluorescence imaging device that enables non‐contact, real‐time, high‐resolution visualisation of pathogenic bacteria and tissues in wounds. Herein, we report the clinical use of this imaging device in detecting subsurface heavy bacterial load and subclinical local infection in an asymptomatic 50‐year‐old patient with a non‐healing diabetic foot ulcer.     

Effects and safety of atmospheric low‐temperature plasma on bacterial reduction in chronic wounds and wound size reduction: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

The use of atmospheric low‐temperature plasma (AP) on chronic wounds and its effect on microbial bioburden in open wounds has not been explored with a systematic review and meta‐analysis. PRISMA guidelines were followed and PubMed, Embase, CENTRAL, and CINAHL databases searched for randomised controlled trials (RCTs), which compared AP with no AP for the management of open, chronic wounds. The primary outcomes of reduction of bioburden or wound size were included. Meta‐analyses were performed; odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were extracted and pooled in a random effects model. Four RCTs investigated the effect of AP on chronic wound healing. Chronic wounds treated with AP did not show a significant improvement in healing (AP vs control: OR = 1.46; 95% CI = 0.89‐2.38; P = 0.13). Five further RCTs investigated the reduction of bioburden in wounds, but AP demonstrated no significant reduction of bioburden (AP vs control: OR = 0.85; 95% CI = 0.45‐1.62; P = 0.63). All nine RCTs recorded the presence of any severe adverse events (SAEs) in the 268 patients studied, with only one unrelated SAE identified in each group (AP vs control: OR = 1.00; 95% CI = 0.05‐19.96; P = 1.00). Use of AP in wound care is safe, but the retrieved evidence and meta‐analysis show that there is no clinical benefit of AP in chronic open wounds using currently available AP device settings.     

Effectiveness of ultrasonic debridement on reduction of bacteria and biofilm in patients with chronic wounds: A scoping review

Chronic wounds are defined as “hard‐to‐heal” wounds that are caused by disordered mechanisms of wound healing. Chronic wounds have a high risk of infection and can form biofilms, leading to the release of planktonic bacteria, which causes persistent infections locally or remotely. Therefore, infection control and removal of the biofilm in chronic wounds are essential. Recently, ultrasonic debridement was introduced as a new method to reduce infection and promote the healing of chronic wounds. This scoping review aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of ultrasonic debridement on the changes in bacteria and biofilms, and consequently the wound healing rate of chronic wounds. A total of 1021 articles were identified through the database search, and nine papers were eligible for inclusion. Findings suggest that non‐contact devices are useful for wound healing as they reduce the inflammatory response, although the bacterial load is not significantly changed. Ultrasonic debridement devices that require direct contact with the wound promote wound healing through reduction of biofilm or bacterial load. The optimum settings for ultrasonic debridement using a non‐contact device are relatively consistent, but the settings for devices that require direct contact are diverse. Further studies on ultrasonic debridement in chronic wounds are required.     

Effect on total microbial load and community composition with two vs six‐week topical Cadexomer Iodine for treating chronic biofilm infections in diabetic foot ulcers

This study compares two vs six weeks of topical antimicrobial therapy with Cadexomer Iodine in patients with diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) complicated by chronic biofilm infections. Patients with non‐healing DFUs with suspected chronic biofilm infections were eligible for enrolment. Patients were randomised to receive either two or six weeks of treatment with topical Cadexomer Iodine. Tissue biopsies from the ulcers were obtained pre‐and‐post treatment and underwent DNA sequencing and real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to determine the total microbial load, community composition, and diversity of bacteria. Scanning electron microscopy confirmed biofilm in all 18 ulcers with suspected chronic biofilm infections. Cadexomer Iodine resulted in 14 of 18 (78%) samples achieving a mean 0.5 log10 reduction in microbial load. Regardless of treatment duration, there was no statistical difference in the reduction of total microbial loads. No difference in the rate of wound healing in the two groups was seen at 6 weeks. Cadexomer Iodine reduces the total microbial load in DFUs with chronic biofilm infections and affects microbial community composition and diversity. All ulcers in both groups showed an initial reduction in wound size with application of Cadexomer Iodine, which might reflect its effect on biofilms.     

The impact of negative‐pressure wound therapy with instillation on wounds requiring operative debridement: Pilot randomised,controlled trial

Presence of bacteria in wounds can delay healing. Addition of a regularly instilled topical solution over the wound during negative‐pressure wound therapy (NPWT) may reduce bioburden levels compared with standard NPWT alone. We performed a prospective, randomised, multi‐centre, post‐market trial to compare effects of NPWT with instillation and dwell of polyhexamethylene biguanide solution vs NPWT without instillation therapy in wounds requiring operative debridement. Results showed a significantly greater mean decrease in total bacterial counts from time of initial surgical debridement to first dressing change in NPWT plus instillation (n = 69) subjects compared with standard NPWT (n = 63) subjects (?0.18 vs 0.6 log₁₀ CFU/g, respectively). There was no significant difference between the groups in the primary endpoint of required inpatient operating room debridements after initial debridement. Time to readiness for wound closure/coverage, proportion of wounds closed, and incidence of wound complications were similar. NPWT subjects had 3.1 times the risk of re‐hospitalisation compared with NPWT plus instillation subjects. This study provides a basis for exploring research options to understand the impact of NPWT with instillation on wound healing.     

Current methods for wound debridement

Wound management experienced significant changes in the last half century, while acknowledging the concept of "moist wound healing" and the strategy of "wound bed preparation". New solutions in this area have brought by developing new methods of debridement, exudates management and decrease of bacterial load. Debridement is the most widespread used method for conditioning wound and involves the application of interventions that accelerate the healing process. The main objective of this article is to identify current methods of debridement used worldwide in wounds treatment, their indications and recommended guidelines. For this purpose we analyzed reviews, randomized clinical trials, practical guides, meta-analysis, and clinical trials published in the Clinical Core Journals and Nursing Journals from 2006 to 2010. We identified six methods of wound debridement, each with its own advantages and limitations: surgical debridement, mechanical debridement, autolytic debridement, enzymatic debridement, chemical debridement and biological debridement. We found that in literature there is no consensus regarding the most effective debridement method or combination of debridement methods. According to various authors or expert groups' opinions, debridement methods are differentiated by specific properties, different costs and different levels of acceptance from medical staff.     

The Neuropathic Diabetic Foot Ulcer Microbiome Is Associated With Clinical Factors

Nonhealing diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) are a common and costly complication of diabetes. Microbial burden, or “bioburden,” is believed to underlie delayed healing, although little is known of those clinical factors that may influence microbial load, diversity, and/or pathogenicity. We profiled the microbiomes of neuropathic nonischemic DFUs without clinical evidence of infection in 52 individuals using high-throughput sequencing of the bacterial 16S ribosomal RNA gene. Comparatively, wound cultures, the standard diagnostic in the clinic, vastly underrepresent microbial load, microbial diversity, and the presence of potential pathogens. DFU microbiomes were heterogeneous, even in our tightly restricted study population, but partitioned into three clusters distinguished primarily by dominant bacteria and diversity. Ulcer depth was associated with ulcer cluster, positively correlated with abundance of anaerobic bacteria, and negatively correlated with abundance of Staphylococcus. Ulcer duration was positively correlated with bacterial diversity, species richness, and relative abundance of Proteobacteria, but was negatively correlated with relative abundance of Staphylococcus. Finally, poor glycemic control was associated with ulcer cluster, with poorest median glycemic control concentrating to Staphylococcus-rich and Streptococcus-rich ulcer clusters. Analyses of microbial community membership and structure may provide the most useful metrics in prospective studies to delineate problematic bioburden from benign colonization that can then be used to drive clinical treatment.Fifteen percent of those with diabetes will develop at least one diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) during their lifetime (1). Effective treatment strategies for DFUs are still lacking. Systemic and topical antimicrobial treatments are commonly used, even though minimal evidence supports their efficacy in DFU treatment (2). Clinical signs and symptoms of infection cannot be reliably used in chronic wounds to direct antibiotic treatment (3), and the fine line between benign colonization and problematic bioburden from which to direct antibiotic treatment remains unclear. Targeting microbial populations to promote healing and deter infection-related complications might be a novel treatment option.To establish the role of bacteria in impaired healing and infection-related complication, it is necessary to define the full array of microorganisms colonizing the DFU. Clinical practice and most studies of DFU bioburden have relied on cultivation-dependent methods, which are biased toward those microorganisms that thrive in isolation under laboratory conditions. Importantly, cultivation-based methods tend to overlook slow-growing fastidious bacteria such as anaerobes, a subset of bacteria thought to be particularly damaging to the wound environment (4). Genomic approaches to analyze microbial communities, such as sequencing of the small subunit 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene, are increasingly accessible and provide much greater resolution by eliminating biases associated with culturing bacteria (5–7). The 16S rRNA gene is present in the genomes of all prokaryotes and contains sequences that allow identification and classification of the organism. The gene also contains highly conserved regions that allow broad-range amplification by PCR (8,9). Three dimensions of bioburden may be important in the nonhealing DFU: microbial load; microbial diversity; and/or pathogenicity (10). Microbial load is the total quantity of microbes present. Microbial diversity is the number of different bacterial taxa present. Potential pathogens of the DFU are believed to include Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, Proteobacteria (a phylum of Gram-negative bacteria), and anaerobic bacteria (4). Genomic methods to evaluate bioburden allow these dimensions to be considered together as the microbial community and structure within a wound. This ability represents a significant step forward in our quest to understand the role that the microbiota play in DFU outcomes and complications.Previous studies of the chronic wound microbiome using 16S rRNA gene sequencing used study designs and methods that combined and analyzed heterogeneous types of wounds, including ischemic, neuropathic, and mixed-type DFUs (7,11,12). Pathophysiologically distinct DFUs likely lead to a different host/wound environment, ultimately confounding identification of microbial populations associated with DFUs and estimations of DFU microbial diversity. Furthermore, previous studies have not related the DFU microbiota to clinical factors found to be associated with nonhealing. In the absence of useful culture data and the inability to access molecular techniques, clinical factors may be useful for identifying individuals at risk for problematic bioburden because the wound environment may support or deter particular microbiota (7), which then may lead to poor ulcer outcomes. Potential patient and/or ulcer factors found to be associated with failure to heal include wound surface area, ulcer grade, arterial perfusion, necrosis, and wound duration (13–16). Although glycemic control was found to be associated with wound healing in persons with diabetes (17), it has not been found to be associated with healing of DFUs (18). Clinical factors need to be systematically examined to determine which may serve as clinically relevant biomarkers of problematic bioburden.Here, we report the first systematic exploratory analysis of the microbiome of a homogenous sample of neuropathic nonischemic DFUs (N = 52 subjects) by high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene in relation to clinical factors that may influence the microbiome. Specific aims were to compare the three dimensions of DFU bioburden detected by 16S rRNA gene sequencing to those obtained with traditional quantitative cultures, to examine the microbial community structure of DFUs, and to examine clinical factors associated with DFU microbiome.     

Mode of action of poloxamer‐based surfactants in wound care and efficacy on biofilms

Surfactants are widely used as detergents, emulsifiers, wetting agents, foaming agents, and dispersants in both the food and oil industry. Their use in a clinical setting is also common, particularly in wound care. Complicated or chronic wounds show clinical signs of delayed healing, persistent inflammation, and the production of non‐viable tissue. These types of wounds also present challenges such as infection and potentially house antimicrobial‐tolerant biofilms. The use of wound cleansers to aid cleaning and debridement of the wound is essential. A large proportion of skin and wound cleansers contain surfactants but there is only a small amount of data that shows the effectiveness of them in the enhancement of wound closure. This review paper aims to explore the available literature surrounding the use and mode of action of surfactants in wound healing, in particular Poloxamer 188 (Pluronic F‐68) and Poloxamer 407 (Pluronic F‐127), and also uncover the potential mechanisms behind the enhancement of wound healing and comparison to other surfactants used in wound care. Furthermore, the presence of a microbial biofilm in the wound is a significant factor in delayed wound healing. Therefore, the effect of clinically used surfactants on biofilms will be discussed, with emphasis on poloxamer‐based surfactants.     

Anti-biofilm efficacy of a lactoferrin/xylitol wound hydrogel used in combination with silver wound dressings

With an epidemic increase in obesity combined with an ageing population, chronic wounds such as diabetic foot ulcers, pressure ulcers and venous leg ulcers are an increasing clinical concern. Recent studies have shown that bacterial biofilms are a major contributor to wound bioburden and interfere with the normal wound healing process; therefore, rational design of wound therapies should include analysis of anti‐biofilm characteristics. Studies using the combined treatment of bacterial biofilms with the innate immune molecule lactoferrin and the rare sugar‐alcohol xylitol have demonstrated an antimicrobial capacity against a clinical wound isolate. Studies presented here used a colony‐drip‐flow reactor biofilm model to assess the anti‐biofilm efficacy of a lactoferrin/xylitol hydrogel used in combination with commercially available silver‐based wound dressings. Log reductions in biofilm viability are compared with a commercially available wound hydrogel used in combination with the silver‐based wound dressings. For both a single species biofilm and a dual species biofilm, the lactoferrin/xylitol hydrogel in combination with the silver wound dressing Acticoat? had a statistically significant reduction in biofilm viability relative to the commercially available wound hydrogel. This study also demonstrated a statistical interaction between the lactoferrin/xylitol hydrogel and the silver wound dressing.     

Temporal dynamics of relative abundances and bacterial succession in chronic wound communities

Polymicrobial bacterial infection is an important factor contributing to wound chronicity. Consequently, clinicians frequently adopt a biofilm‐based wound care approach, in which wounds are treated utilizing DNA sequencing information about microbial communities. While more successful than treatment not using community information, there is little information about temporal dynamics of wound communities and optimal approaches over the course of treatment. To characterize these dynamics, temporal analysis over three sampling points was conducted for 167 chronic wounds. Across sampling intervals, wound communities from the same patients changed in composition, and most commonly shared less than 50% of observed species. There was a significant relationship between community similarity and time between sampling. Classifying wounds into state types, we found that communities frequently transitioned from Pseudomonas or Staphylococcus dominated, into a highly variable state type. Although low abundance microbial species are typically disregarded due to uncertainty of biological importance, we found that 80% of wound microbiomes included common or dominant species at subsequent time points that were in low abundance in earlier samples. Moreover, these species were often those known to frequently infect wounds. Results document compositional shifts through the course of treatment and suggest that routine consideration of low abundance species may improve biofilm‐based wound care. Moreover, findings indicate that integrating ecological modeling to understand wound microbiome succession may lead to more informed therapy.     

Increasing the presence of biofilm and healing delay in a porcine model of MRSA‐infected wounds

Data supporting the concept that microbial biofilms are a major cause of non‐healing ulcers remain limited. A porcine model was established where delayed healing resulted from methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection in full‐thickness wounds. At the end of one study a wound remaining open was sampled and a MRSA strain was isolated. This pig‐passaged strain was used as the inoculating strain in several subsequent studies. The resulting MRSA wound infections exhibited a greater, more stable tissue bioburden than seen in studies using the parent strain. Furthermore, wounds infected with the passaged strain experienced a greater delay in healing. To understand whether these changes corresponded to an increased biofilm character of the wound infection, wound biopsy samples from studies using either the parent or passaged MRSA strains were examined microscopically. Evidence of biofilm was observed for both strains, as most samples at a minimum had multiple isolated, dense microcolonies of bacteria. However, the passaged MRSA resulted in bacterial colonies of greater frequency and size that occurred more often in concatenated fashion to generate extended sections of biofilm. These results provide a model case in which increasing biofilm character of a wound infection corresponded with a greater delay in wound healing.     

Rapid detection of biofilm by wound blotting following sharp debridement of chronic pressure ulcers predicts wound healing: A preliminary study

For optimal wound bed preparation, wound debridement is essential to eliminate bacterial biofilms. However, it is challenging for clinicians to determine whether the biofilm is completely removed. A newly developed biofilm detection method based on wound blotting technology may be useful. Thus, we aimed to investigate the effect of biofilm elimination on wound area decrease in pressure ulcers, as confirmed using the wound blotting method. In this retrospective observational study, we enrolled patients with pressure ulcers who underwent sharp debridement with pre‐ and post‐debridement wound blotting. Biofilm was detected on the nitrocellulose membrane using ruthenium red or alcian blue staining. Patients were included if the test was positive for biofilm before wound debridement. Percent decrease in wound area after 1 week was calculated as an outcome measure. We classified the wounds into a biofilm‐eliminated group and a biofilm‐remaining group based on the post‐debridement wound blotting result. Sixteen wound blotting samples from nine pressure ulcers were collected. The percent decrease in wound area was significantly higher in the biofilm‐eliminated group (median: 14.4%, interquartile range: 4.6%‐20.1%) than in the biofilm‐remaining group (median: ?14.5%, interquartile range: ?25.3%‐9.6%; P = .040). The presence of remaining biofilms was an independent predictor for reduced percent decrease in wound area (coefficient = ?22.84, P = .040). Biofilm‐based wound care guided by wound blotting is a promising measure to help clinicians eliminate bacterial bioburden more effectively for wound area reduction.     

Deconstructing negative pressure wound therapy

Since its introduction 20 years ago for the treatment of chronic wounds, negative pressure wound therapy use has expanded to a variety of other wound types. Various mechanisms of action for its efficacy in wound healing have been postulated, but no unifying theory exists. Proposed mechanisms include induction of perfusion changes, microdeformation, macrodeformation, exudate control and decreasing the bacterial load in the wound. We surmise that these different mechanisms have varying levels of dominance in each wound type. Specifically, negative pressure wound therapy is beneficial to acute open wounds because it induces perfusion changes and formation of granulation tissue. Post‐surgical incisional wounds are positively affected by perfusion changes and exudate control. In the context of chronic wounds, negative pressure wound therapy removes harmful and corrosive substances within the wounds to affect healing. When skin grafts and dermal substitutes are used to close a wound, negative pressure wound therapy is effective in promoting granulation tissue formation, controlling exudate and decreasing the bacterial load in the wound. In this review, we elucidate some of the mechanisms behind the positive wound healing effects of negative pressure wound therapy, providing possible explanations for these effects in different wound types.     

Prospective clinical study on the efficacy of bacterial removal with mechanical debridement in and around chronic leg ulcers assessed with fluorescence imaging

Bacterial colonisation in wounds delays healing, mandating regular bacterial removal through cleaning and debridement. Real‐time monitoring of the efficacy of mechanical debridement has recently become possible through fluorescence imaging. Red fluorescence, endogenously produced during bacterial metabolism, indicates regions contaminated with live bacteria (>10⁴ CFU/g). In this prospective study, conventional and fluorescence photos were taken of 25 venous leg ulcers before and after mechanical debridement, without use of antiseptics. Images were digitally segmented into wound bed and the periwound regions (up to 1.5 cm outside bed) and pixel intensity of red fluorescence evaluated to compute bacterial area. Pre‐debridement, bacterial fluorescence comprised 10.4% of wound beds and larger percentages of the periwound area (~25%). Average bacterial reduction observed in the wound bed after a single mechanical debridement was 99.4% (p<0.001), yet periwound bacterial reduction was only 64.3%. On average, across bed and periwound, a single mechanical debridement left behind 29% of bacterial fluorescence positive tissue regions. Our results show the substantial effect that safe, inexpensive, mechanical debridement can have on bacterial load of venous ulcers without antiseptic use. Fluorescence imaging can localise bacterial colonised areas and showed persistent periwound bacteria post‐debridement. Fluorescence‐targeted debridement can be used quickly and easily in daily practice.     

The detrimental impact of extracellular bacterial proteases on wound healing

In addition to clinical signs of infection (e.g. inflammation, purulence and pain), a microbial count of ≥10⁵ colony‐forming units/g has historically been used to define wound infection. However, it is increasingly recognised that, rather than a high bioburden level alone being detrimental to wound healing, it is the virulence of the invading microorganism and the host's immune status that can affect clinical outcomes. Bacteria, such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis, have developed a range of virulence factors to help them overcome host defences and proliferate within the underlying soft tissue. More specifically, bacterial proteases are one such virulence factor that has been implicated in promoting the invasion and destruction of the host tissue. Because of the complexities of microorganisms, the proteases can negatively impact the wound environment, leading to delayed wound healing. The aim of the present paper is to describe various extracellular bacterial proteases; review the impact they have on the wound environment, the host immune response and biofilms; and discuss potential wound management strategies against them. The evidence discussed suggests that proteases may play a profound role in wound infections, contribute to the development of an inflammatory response and impede wound healing.     

The role of surgical debridement in healing of diabetic foot ulcers

A critical question in the treatment of chronic wounds is whether and when debridement is needed. The three most common chronic wounds are the diabetic foot ulcer (DFU), the venous leg ulcer, and the pressure or decubitus ulcer. Surgical debridement, aimed at removing necrotic, devitalized wound bed and wound edge tissue that inhibits healing, is a longstanding standard of care for the treatment of chronic, nonhealing wounds. Debridement encourages healing by converting a chronic nonhealing wound environment into a more responsive acute healing environment. While the rationale for debridement seems logical, the evidence to support its use in enhancing healing is scarce. Currently, there is more evidence in the literature for debridement for DFUs than for venous ulcers and pressure ulcers; however, the studies on which clinicians have based their rationale for debridement in DFUs possess methodologic flaws, small sample sizes, and bias. Thus, further studies are needed to develop clinical evidence for its inclusion in treatment protocols for chronic wounds. Here, the authors review the scientific evidence for debridement of DFUs, the rationale for debridement of DFUs, and the insufficient data supporting debridement for venous ulcers and pressure ulcers.     

Current concepts regarding the effect of wound microbial ecology and biofilms on wound healing

Biofilms are a collection of microbes that adhere to surfaces by manufacturing a matrix that shields them from environmental elements. Wound biofilms are difficult to evaluate clinically, and standard culture methods are inadequate for capturing the true bioburden present in the biofilm. New molecular techniques provide the means for rapid detection and evaluation of wound biofilms, and may prove to be useful in the clinical setting. Studies have shown that many commercial topical agents and wound dressings in use are ineffective against the biofilm matrix. At this stage, mechanical debridement appears to be essential in the eradication of a wound biofilm. Topical antimicrobial agents and antibiotics may be effective in the treatment of the wound bed after debridement in the prevention of biofilm reformation.     

The role of surgical debridement in healing of diabetic foot ulcers

An estimated 15% of patients with diabetes mellitus will develop a foot ulcer during their lifetime. Debridement is included in multiple guidelines and algorithms for the care of patients with diabetic neuropathic foot ulcers, and it has long been considered an essential step in the protocol for treating diabetic foot ulcers. In addition to altering the environment of the chronic wound, debridement is a technique aimed at removing nonviable and necrotic tissue, thought to be detrimental to healing. This is accomplished by removing abnormal wound bed and wound edge tissue, such as hyperkeratotic epidermis (callus) and necrotic dermal tissue, foreign debris, and bacteria elements known to have an inhibitory effect on wound healing. While the rationale for surgical debridement seems logical, the evidence for its role in enhancing healing is deficient. In this paper, we systematically review five published clinical trials, which met the criteria and investigated surgical debridement of diabetic foot ulcers to enhance healing. Most existing studies are not randomized clinical trials optimized to test the relationship between debridement of diabetic foot ulcers and wound healing. Therefore, a focused, well‐designed study is needed to elucidate the effect of surgical debridement on the healing status of chronic wounds.