The wound‐healing effects of a next‐generation anti‐biofilm silver Hydrofiber wound dressing on deep partial‐thickness wounds using a porcine model

Topical antimicrobials are widely used to control wound bioburden and facilitate wound healing; however, the fine balance between antimicrobial efficacy and non‐toxicity must be achieved. This study evaluated whether an anti‐biofilm silver‐containing wound dressing interfered with the normal healing process in non‐contaminated deep partial thickness wounds. In an in‐vivo porcine wound model using 2 pigs, 96 wounds were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 dressing groups: anti‐biofilm silver Hydrofiber dressing (test), silver Hydrofiber dressing (control), or polyurethane film dressing (control). Wounds were investigated for 8 days, and wound biopsies (n = 4) were taken from each dressing group, per animal, on days 2, 4, 6, and 8 after wounding and evaluated using light microscopy. No statistically significant differences were observed in the rate of reepithelialisation, white blood cell infiltration, angiogenesis, or granulation tissue formation following application of the anti‐biofilm silver Hydrofiber dressing versus the 2 control dressings. Overall, epithelial thickness was similar between groups. Some differences in infiltration of specific cell types were observed between groups. There were no signs of tissue necrosis, fibrosis, or fatty infiltration in any group. An anti‐biofilm silver Hydrofiber wound dressing did not cause any notable interference with normal healing processes.     

Influence of various treatments including povidone‐iodine and healing stimulatory reagents in a rabbit ear wound model

Selecting an appropriate treatment for a given case of skin wound is crucial for inducing optimal healing. We used an animal model developed from normal rabbit ears in order to assess the efficacy of treatments for skin wounds with or without a wet dressing, anti microbial reagent or topical wound‐stimulatory reagents. The degree of healing in each group was evaluated and compared using four histological parameters: (i) degree of reepithelialisation, (ii) amount of granulation tissue formation, and (iii) the number of capillary lumens and (iv) fibroblasts in the granulation tissue. Treatment using wet dressings resulted in an increase in capillary number compared with the open dry wound. Although the retention of povidone‐iodine (PI) in wound tissue after application significantly inhibited reepithelialisation (P < 0·05), rinsing PI off with saline was comparable in effect to using only a wet dressing. The three topical reagents, namely, basic fibroblast growth factor, prostaglandin E1 and dibutyryl cyclic adenosine monophosphate, significantly improved reepithelialisation (P < 0·05). In conclusion, wounds should be kept hydrated by applying topical reagents. If there are any signs of bacterial infection, PI can be applied and rinsed later with saline in order to minimise its cytotoxic effects.     

ORIGINAL RESEARCH–CLINICAL SCIENCE: Reducing wound pain in venous leg ulcers with Biatain Ibu: A randomized,controlled double‐blind clinical investigation on the performance and safety

Six out of 10 patients with chronic wounds suffer from persistent wound pain. A multinational and multicenter randomized double‐blind clinical investigation of 122 patients compared two moist wound healing dressings: a nonadhesive foam dressing with ibuprofen (62 patients randomized to Biatain Ibu Nonadhesive Coloplast A/S) and a nonadhesive foam without ibuprofen (60 patients to Biatain Non‐Adhesive—comparator). Patients were recruited from September 2005 to April 2006. The ibuprofen foam was considered successful if the pain relief on a five‐point Verbal Rating Scale was higher than the comparator without compromising safety including appropriate healing rate. Additional endpoints were change in persistent wound pain between dressing changes and pain at dressing change on days 1–5 (double blind) and days 43–47 (single blind). The primary response variable, persistent pain relief, was significantly higher in the ibuprofen‐foam group, as compared with the comparator on day 1–5, with a quick onset of action (p<0.05). Wound pain intensity was significantly reduced with the ibuprofen foam during day 1–5 with 40% from baseline, compared with 30% with the comparator (p<0.001). At day 43–47, the patients in the ibuprofen‐foam group had a significant (p<0.05) reemergence of persistent pain and pain at dressing change (p<0.05) when the active dressing was changed to the comparator. Wound healing was similar in the ibuprofen foam and comparator group. No difference in adverse events between the comparator and the ibuprofen foam with local sustained release of low‐dose ibuprofen was observed in this study. It was generally found that women reported less pain intensity than men, and pain intensity decreased with increasing age. In addition, pain intensity increased with initial pain intensity and increasing wound size. This study has demonstrated that the ibuprofen‐foam dressing provided pain relief and reduced pain intensity without compromising healing or other safety parameters.     

Prospective and randomised evaluation of the protease‐modulating effect of oxidised regenerated cellulose/collagen matrix treatment in pressure sore ulcers

In chronic wounds, excess levels and activity of proteases such as elastase and plasmin have been detected. Oxidised regenerated cellulose/collagen matrix (ORC/collagen matrix) has been reported to ameliorate the wound microenvironment by binding and inactivating excess proteases in wound exudates. In this study, the levels and activity of elastase and plasmin in wound exudates of pressure sore ulcers were measured to determine the beneficial effect of ORC/collagen matrix treatment compared with control treatment with a foam dressing. A total of 33 patients with pressure sores were enrolled in the study and were followed up for 12 weeks after treatment. Ten control patients were treated with a foam hydropolymer dressing (TIELLE^®, Systagenix), and the remaining 23 patients were treated with ORC/collagen matrix plus the foam dressing (TIELLE^®, Systagenix) on top. Wound assessments were carried out over 12 weeks on a weekly basis, with dressing changes twice a week. Ulcers were photographed and wound exudates were collected on admission and at days 5, 14 and then every 14 days to provide a visual record of any changes in appearance of the ulcer and healing rate and for biochemical analysis of the wound. The levels and activity of elastase and plasmin were measured in wound exudates. Statistical analysis was performed using ANOVA and Bonferroni's post hoc test with P‐values <0·05 considered to be significant. Compared with controls, ORC/collagen matrix–treated pressure sore wounds showed a significant faster healing rate, which positively correlated with a decreased activity of elastase and plasmin in wound exudates. No signs of infection or intolerance to the ORC/collagen matrix were observed.     

The comparison of two negative‐pressure wound therapy systems in a porcine model of wound healing

The purpose of this study was to compare two negative‐pressure wound healing systems (NPWT), ?75 mmHg with a silicone‐coated (SC) dressing and ?125 mmHg with polyurethane foam dressing (standard of care). In addition, this study compared the effects of two different dressing interfaces, SC dressing and gauze, with ?75 mmHg pressure. For both comparisons, two groups of five pigs were evaluated over a 21‐day time course. Two excisional wounds were made on each animal and NPWT dressings were applied. A canvas saddle was constructed to hold the NPWT device so the animal had free range of the pen. Dressings were changed twice a week and wound measurements were taken. Specimens for histology and gene expression analyses were taken on day 7 and 21. These data show that there is increased expression in a few genes associated with remodeling and inflammatory processes in the NPWT‐125 with polyurethane foam as compared with the NPWT‐75 with SC dressing. These two systems, however, are equivalent with respect to wound healing, histology, and gene expression over 21 days of healing. Further, we demonstrate that there is no difference in measure of healing between the SC dressing and a basic gauze dressing.     

Epidermal growth factor‐containing wound closure enhances wound healing in non‐diabetic and diabetic rats

Background: This study was designed to elucidate the in vivo efficacy of epidermal growth factor (EGF) on wound healing in non diabetic and diabetic rats. Methods: Ninety‐six male Wistar‐Albino rats were randomly divided into six groups. Saline‐moistened gauze, pure gelatin or EGF in gelatin‐microsphere dressings were used in a dermal excision model in both normal and streptomycin‐induced diabetic rats. Wound healing was evaluated on day 7 and 14. Reduction in wound area, hydroxypyroline content and tensile strength of the wound were evaluated in each rat. Tissue samples taken from the wounds were examined histopathologically for reepithelialisation, cellular infiltration, number of fibroblasts, granulation and neovascularisation. Results: On day 7, the use of EGF‐containing dressing was observed to reduce the wound area better when compared with the other dressings tested. This effect was significant in normal rats rather than diabetic rats. The difference in reduction of wound area did not persist on day 14. No significant effect on hydroxyproline content of the wound was found with EGF‐containing dressing in either normal or diabetic rats. There was a statistically significant increase in tensile strength values of EGF‐applied non diabetic rats over the 14 day period. An increase in tensile strength was prominent in also EGF‐applied diabetic rats on day 14. Histological examination revealed higher histopathologic scores in EGF‐applied diabetic and non diabetic rats. Conclusion: These findings implicate that use of EGF in gelatin‐microsphere dressings improves wound healing both in normal and diabetic rats.     

A pre‐clinical functional assessment of an acellular scaffold intended for the treatment of hard‐to‐heal wounds

The majority of the population experience successful wound‐healing outcomes; however, 1–3% of those aged over 65 years experience delayed wound healing and wound perpetuation. These hard‐to‐heal wounds contain degraded and dysfunctional extracellular matrix (ECM); yet, the integrity of this structure is critical in the processes of normal wound healing. Here, we evaluated a novel synthetic matrix protein for its ability to act as an acellular scaffold that could replace dysfunctional ECM. In this regard, the synthetic protein was subjected to adsorption and diffusion assays using collagen and human dermal tissues; evaluated for its ability to influence keratinocyte and fibroblast attachment, migration and proliferation and assessed for its ability to influence in vivo wound healing in a porcine model. Critically, these experiments demonstrate that the matrix protein adsorbed to collagen and human dermal tissue but did not diffuse through human dermal tissue within a 24‐hour observation period, and facilitated cell attachment, migration and proliferation. In a porcine wound‐healing model, significantly smaller wound areas were observed in the test group compared with the control group following the third treatment. These data provide evidence that the synthetic matrix protein has the ability to function as an acellular scaffold for wound‐healing purposes.     

Inflammatory inert poly(ethylene glycol)--protein wound dressing improves healing responses in partial- and full-thickness wounds

In this study, a novel soft hydrogel system based on the poly(ethylene glycol)-protein conjugates was evaluated as an occlusive wound dressing material. The hydrogel material, referred by the name of BioAquacare, contains up to 96% of the liquid and is formulated with phosphate-buffered saline and safe preservative to control bacterial load in the open wounds. Performance of the BioAquacare as a wound dressing material was assessed in partial- and full-thickness wounds in pigs. Wound analysis comprised macroscopic determination of the wound size, histological examination of the healing tissues and biochemical characterisation of wound exudates. The wounds treated with BioAquacare healed without any signs of inflammation, skin irritation, oedema or erythema. Cellular composition of the reepithelialised wounds was very similar to that of the normal skin, with a well-developed stratum corneum and epithelial layer. It was observed that BioAquacare plays the role of a liquid compartment, which provides pronounced hydration effect and helps maintain a natural moist environment of the healing tissues. BioAquacare showed relatively low protein-absorbing activity, absorbing predominantly low-molecular-weight molecules, including interleukin (IL)-1beta, IL-6, transforming growth factor-beta1 and products of haemoglobin degradation. It is concluded that application of the moist BioAquacare dressing promotes fast reepithelialisation by creating favourable environment for keratinocytes proliferation and it also reduces scarring. The results show that BioAquacare can be considered as a safe, biocompatible and inflammatory inert wound dressing material.     

Silicone gel including antimicrobial agent

Silicone gel sheets containing Ofloxacin (OFLX), that provide a continual drug delivery system from a wound dressing to the wound so as to prevent infection and to promote healing, are described. It was found that silicone gel sheets without added medication did not inhibit microbial growth but that gel sheets containing 0.02% and 0.2% of OFLX had a positive antimicrobial effect against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in a dose-dependent fashion in vitro. Further, this antimicrobial efficacy was greatly increased in a silicone gel sheet that contained 0.02% of OFLX and an additional 10% of silicone oil. In animal experiments, a silicone gel sheet containing OFLX prevented microbiol growth and promoted rapid epithelialisation in wounds to which Staphylococcus aureus had been applied, whereas wounds covered only with OpSite all resulted in continued infection.     

牛羊膜在烧伤创面的临床应用研究

目的 观察牛羊膜应用于烧伤创面的临床效果，并筛选最佳制备和储存方法。方法 2004年1月～2005年11月，随机选取58例浅Ⅰ度、深Ⅱ度、Ⅲ度切削痂植皮创面、供皮区及残余创面的患者，采用同体对照，将每例患者相同性质的创面等分为3分，分别贴附经0．1％洗必泰处理（A）、0．4％戊二醛处理（B）的牛羊膜和作为对照的凡士林油纱敷料（C），比较各组的临床效果，并对制备和储存牛羊膜的方法作出评价。结果 材料A较材料B质地柔软，随意性好，应用不需预处理。临床应用见：A、B组材料换药时患者疼痛轻微，C组较明显；A、B组创面愈合时间在各类创面中均低于C组，差异有统计学意义（P〈0．01），A、B组间比较，差异无统计学意义（P〉0．05）。A、B组创面感染率在深Ⅰ度和残余创面明显低于C组，差异有统计学意义（P〈0．05）；在浅Ⅰ度、Ⅲ度切削痂植皮创面和供皮区创面与C组比较，差异无统计学意义（P〉0．05），A、B组间比较，差异无统计学意义（P〉0．05）。结论 牛羊膜可以促进烧伤创面愈合，降低创面感染率，应用于常见的烧伤创面，戊二醛处理和洗必泰处理的牛羊膜疗效相似，但后者更易推广。     

Systematic review of dressings and topical agents for surgical wounds healing by secondary intention

BACKGROUND: The best dressing for postoperative wounds healing by secondary intention is unknown. METHODS: A systematic review was conducted to assess the effectiveness of dressings and topical agents on such wounds. Main endpoints were wound healing, pain, patient satisfaction, costs and hospital stay. Systematic methodological appraisal and data extraction were performed by independent reviewers. RESULTS: Fourteen reports of 13 randomized clinical trials on dressings or topical agents (gauze, foam, bead, alginate and hydrocolloid dressing) for postoperative wounds healing by secondary intention were identified; they were of weak methodological quality. In general, no statistically significant differences in wound healing were found for various dressing comparisons (11 of 13 trials). Patients experienced significantly more pain (four of six trials) and were less satisfied when gauze was used (three of six trials). Gauze was inexpensive, but its use was associated with significantly more nursing time than dressing with foam (two of three trials). No substantial differences in hospital stay were found (four of five trials). CONCLUSIONS: Only small, poor-quality trials exist, rendering the evidence insufficient. Foam is best studied as an alternative to gauze and appears to be preferable in terms of pain reduction, patient satisfaction and nursing time.     

碳纤维敷料在烧伤创面中的临床应用

目的观察碳纤维敷料对烧伤创面的治疗作用。方法选择浅Ⅱ°、深Ⅱ°和残余创面共277例,随机分为对照组(碘伏纱布换药)和治疗组(碳纤维敷料换药)。观察敷料吸收容量、创面炎症反应,并做创面细菌定量和创面组织学检查,记录创面愈合时间等。结果与对照组相比,治疗组敷料吸收容量大,创面炎症反应轻,创周炎症消退快,痂下组织细菌定量低。浅Ⅱ°、深Ⅱ°及残余创面愈合时间分别为(7．4±2．1)d、(16．2±2．6)d、(19．4±6．2)d,均较对照组缩短,对照组分别为(9．6±2．4)d、(19．6±3．4)d和(28．8±10．4)d。结论碳纤维敷料是一种具有吸附能力强、可有效控制炎症反应、促进创面愈合等特点的新型敷料。     

Low flow oxygenation of full‐excisional skin wounds on diabetic mice improves wound healing by accelerating wound closure and reepithelialization

Oxygen‐based therapies have proven effective in treating chronic and difficult‐to‐heal skin wounds, but the current therapeutic approaches suffer from major limitations and they do not allow for continuous wound treatment. Here we examined whether the continuous treatment of wounds with pure oxygen at low flow rates accelerates wound closure and improves wound healing in a murine model of diabetic skin wounds. Two full‐excisional dorsal skin wounds were generated on 15‐week‐old diabetic db/db mice and treated for 10 weeks continuously with pure oxygen (>99·9%) at low flow rates (3 ml/h). After 6 days, oxygen treatment resulted in a mean reduction of the original wound size by 60·2% as compared with only 45·2% in wounds on control mice that did not receive pure oxygen.(P = 0·022). After 10 days, oxygen‐treated wounds were 83·1% closed compared with 71·2% in wounds on control mice. While reepithelialisation was complete after 10 days in over 57% of wounds receiving low flow oxygen treatment, significant epithelial gaps remained in 75% wounds from mice that did not receive oxygen. Continuous low flow oxygenation significantly improves healing of diabetic skin wounds in mice and may therefore be an effective treatment for chronic cutaneous and possibly other slow‐healing wounds in diabetic patients.     

A randomized,controlled, double‐blind prospective trial with a Lipido‐Colloid Technology‐Nano‐OligoSaccharide Factor wound dressing in the local management of venous leg ulcers

Venous leg ulcers (VLUs) are the most prevalent chronic wounds in western countries with a heavy socioeconomic impact. Compression therapy is the etiologic treatment of VLU but until now no wound dressing has been shown to be more effective than another. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of a new dressing in the management of VLU. Adult patients presenting a noninfected VLU and receiving effective compression therapy were enrolled in this randomized, controlled, double‐blind trial. The VLUs were assessed every 2 weeks for 8 weeks. The primary study outcome was the relative Wound Area Reduction (WAR, in %), and the secondary objectives were absolute WAR, healing rate, and percentage of wounds with >40% surface area reduction. One hundred eighty‐seven patients were randomly allocated to treatment groups. Median WAR was 58.3% in the Lipido‐Colloid Technology‐Nano‐OligoSaccharide Factor (TLC‐NOSF) dressing group (test group) and 31.6% in the TLC dressing group (control group) (difference: ?26.7%; 95% confidence interval: ?38.3 to ?15.1%; p = 0.002). All other efficacy outcomes were also significant in favor of the TLC‐NOSF dressing group. Clinical outcomes for patients treated with the new dressing are superior to those patients treated with the TLC dressing (without NOSF compound), suggesting a strong promotion of the VLU healing process.     

不同敷料组合对烧伤患者供皮区创面微环境的影响

目的 了解不同敷料组合对烧伤创面微环境及愈合的影响.方法 选择烧伤后需行手术植皮的患者186例,供皮区创面取皮厚度均为0.3 mm.将200个供皮区创面按表格随机法进行分组,分为藻酸盐棉垫组(藻酸盐敷料+棉垫)、凡士林棉垫组(凡士林油纱+棉垫)、藻酸盐泡沫组(藻酸盐敷料+泡沫敷料)、凡士林泡沫组(凡七林油纱+泡沫敷料).观察各种敷料对患者创面水分蒸发量及pH值的影响,比较各组创面的细菌定植情况、揭除敷料时患者疼痛程度及创面愈合时间.结果 共有184例患者的198个创面完成试验全过程,4种组合敷料可造成不同的创面微环境.藻酸盐棉垫组、凡士林棉垫组、藻酸盐泡沫组、凡士林泡沫组患者创面的敷料表面水分蒸发量分别为(35.5±3.2)、(31.3±2.8)、(23.1±2.9)、(18.1±2.3)mL·h-1·m-2,保湿性能以凡士林泡沫组为佳;创面pH值分别为7.22±0.06、7.41±0.03、7.05±0.03、7.34±0.06.创面细菌培养阳性率以藻酸盐泡沫组(4.0%)最低,凡士林泡沫组(22.4%)最高.揭除患者创面敷料时疼痛程度以藻酸盐泡沫组最轻(0.98±0.12),凡士林棉垫组最重(8.14±0.82).创面愈合时间藻酸盐泡沫组最短,为(6.7±0.8)d;凡士林泡沫组最长,为(15.6±3.5)d.结论 不同敷料在同样创面上使用,会营造不同的创面微环境;该环境与创面愈合时间密切相关,湿度对创面愈合的影响比pH值更为重要.     

Novel negative pressure wound therapy device without foam or gauze is effective at −50 mmHg

Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) promotes healing in acute or chronic wounds. Conventional NPWT devices consist of a filler (such as foam or gauze) that covers the wound and of a permeable membrane and tubing that connects the space under the membrane to a suction pump. The permeable membrane increases airflow and thus increases the required pump capacity that can cause patient discomfort or even ischemia in wounds with compromised vascularity. In addition, foam or gauze may fragment and become colonized with bacteria over time. To mitigate these, negative aspects, we have developed a new impermeable single layer component membrane dressing to deliver NPWT that does not need a foam or gauze to function. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to introduce this novel NPWT system (platform wound device, PWD) and evaluate its usability and effectiveness in the treatment of porcine full‐thickness burns. A total of 48 burn wounds were created across four Yorkshire pigs on the dorsum. Wounds were created on day 0 and continuous NPWT with ?50 mmHg and ? 80 mmHg was initiated immediately. Subsequently, the burns were debrided on day 3 and animals were euthanized on day 7. The efficacy of the PWD on wound healing and reduction of bacterial burden was measured and compared to wounds that did not receive NPWT. The results showed that PWD promoted wound healing by outperforming the wounds that did not receive NPWT and that PWD was efficient at reducing bacteria from the burn eschar and from the wound bed. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that PWD promoted wound healing with a negative pressure as low as ?50 mmHg, which likely benefits healing and avoids potential safety issues.     

008 The Effect of the Gelatin Sheet Containing bFGF on Wound Healing

Aim: It is well recognized that bFGF accelerates proliferation of almost all cells concerned with wound healing and there is a report that bFGF was well sorbed with time to the acidic gelatin hydrogel with isoelectric points of 5.0. We investigated the effect of the acidic gelatin sheet containg bFGF. Methods: Full thickness defects of skin (1.5 × 1.5 cm) were created on the backs of mice.1) The wounds were covered with gelatin sheets (2 × 2 cm)containg bFGF(100 ìg/site), (A), and without bFGF(B). The concentration of bFGF in plasma was estimated by ELISA. 2) The wounds were covered with A, B and hydrogel dressing(control group, C) and wound area was measured with computer planimeter and neoepithelium was observed using the light microscope. Results: 1) The concentration of bFGF in plasma in (A) was statistically greater than (B) by the 7^th day. 2) Statistically smaller wound area was found 2 weeks postoperatively in (A) than in (C) and (D). Neoepithelium from edge of the wound was statistically longer in (A) than in (C). Conclusions: Controlled release of bFGF from the acidic gelatin sheet was fouhd and acidic gelatin sheet containg bFGF promoted neoepithelization and wound closure. The acidic gelatin sheet containg bFGF was thought to be effective on wound healing.     

Effectiveness of collagen/oxidised regenerated cellulose/silver‐containing composite wound dressing for the treatment of medium‐depth split‐thickness skin graft donor site wounds in multi‐morbid patients: a prospective,non‐comparative,single‐centre study

Split‐thickness skin grafting (STSG) is a widely used method in reconstructive surgery, but donor site wounds (DSWs) are often slow healing and painful. This prospective study evaluated the performance of a composite wound dressing containing collagen/oxidised regenerated cellulose in the treatment of medium‐depth (0·4 mm) DSWs in 25 multi‐morbid patients with chronic leg ulcers requiring STSG. The range of patients' ages was 44–84 years (mean 71·6 years) with DSW sizes ranging between 12 and 162 cm² (mean 78 cm²). Comorbidities included anticoagulation therapy (15 patients), anaemia (11 patients), diabetes (6 patients) and methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) ulcer colonisation (6 patients). The first dressing change was performed after 10 days. Complete reepithelialisation was observed between the 10th and 34th day (mean 17·2, median 14 days). Postoperative medium to strong bleeding occurred in only five patients (four with anticoagulation). Wound pain levels one day after harvesting were only moderate (range 0–1·5, mean 0·5, median 0·5 on a six‐item scale). No wound infection was observed during the first dressing. The composite dressing used allowed for the fast healing of medium‐depth DSWs with minimal or no postoperative pain and bleeding in older multi‐morbid patients under anticoagulation treatment.     

Enhanced wound‐healing performance of a phyto‐polysaccharide‐enriched dressing – a preclinical small and large animal study

Alginate is a natural rich anionic polysaccharide (APS), commonly available as calcium alginate (CAPS). It can maintain a physiologically moist microenvironment, which minimises bacterial infection and facilitates wound healing at a wound site. Patients with burn injuries suffer from pain and an inflammatory response. In this study, we evaluated the CAPS dressing and traditional dressing containing carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) for wound healing and scar tissue formation in a burn model of rat and swine. In our pilot study of a burn rat model to evaluate inflammatory response and wound healing, we found that the monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)‐1 and transforming growth factor (TGF)‐β were up‐regulated in the CAPS treatment group. Next, the burn swine models tested positive for MCP‐1 in a Gram‐positive bacterial infection, and there was overproduction of TGF‐β during the burn wound healing process. Rats were monitored daily for 1 week for cytokine assay and sacrificed on day 28 post‐burn injury. The swine were monitored over 6 weeks. We further examined the pain and related factors and inflammatory cytokine expression in a rodent burns model monitored everyday for 7 days post‐burn. Our results revealed that the efficacy of the dressing containing CAPS for wound repair post‐burn was better than the CMC dressing with respect to natural wound healing and scar formation. The polysaccharide‐enriched dressing exerted an antimicrobial effect on burn wounds, regulated the inflammatory response and stimulated anti‐inflammatory cytokine release. However, one pain assessment method showed no significant difference in the reduction in levels of adenosine triphosphate in serum of rats after wound dressing in either the CAPS or CMC group. In conclusion, a polysaccharide‐enriched dressing outperformed a traditional dressing in reducing wound size, minimising hypertrophic scar formation, regulating cytokines and maximising antimicrobial effects.     

Healing of a deep skin wound using a collagen sponge as dressing in the animal experiment]

The high number of available wound dressing materials as well as the scientific reports about the topic indicates that the problem of an ideal wound dressing is not jet solved. In the last thirty years lot of scientific reports about collagen as wound covering has been published. The positive effect of collagen by his application on a wound ist well known. We investigated the effect of a collagen sponge on healing of full thickness skin wound in guinea pig. The animals were divided in two control groups and two experimental groups. In the control group there were air exposed wounds and another wounds covered with paraffin gauze. In the experimental groups were such wounds covered with natural reconstituted collagen sponge as well as wounds covered with chemically prepared collagen sponge with hexamethyldiisocyanat. The results were compared. The air exposed wounds healed in 50 days, the wounds covered with paraffin gauze healed in 48 days. By covering the wounds with collagen sponge the healing was shortened in 24 or 27 days respectively. Not only the healing time was shortened but also the quality of the wound repair by dressing the wounds with collagen sponge was enhanced.