Safe management and prevention of wound infection has been
discussed and advocated by expert group consensus documents. Infection
is a significant problem in wound management and early identification
and intervention are considered as key to the patient’s wellbeing and
healing outcomes. Various agents have been applied topically to treat
infected wounds. A well-recognised option is the use of silver as a viable
antimicrobial, and in recent decades, safer modes of application have been
introduced. Here we discuss three cases from Qinzhou (China), where the
author evaluated a Technology Lipido-Colloid with silver (TLC-Ag) dressing.
Positive outcomes were reported in all cases, concordant with the clinical
outcomes documented in publications the results of other publications both
from Europe and Asia.
Archives
Management of Burn patients with Technology Lipido-Colloid with Silver Sulphate to Fight Local Infection and Restore the Healing Process
Burn wounds are predisposed to infection and topical antimicrobial
preparations are used both to prevent and treat infection. The choice
of topical antimicrobial should be based on the ability of the agent to
inhibit microorganisms that may be harmful within the wound bed and
on the host. Silver is indicated when a local negative impact of bacterial
colonisation is suspected and/or confirmed, because it has a broad
antimicrobial effect. Technology Lipido-Colloid (TLC) is a matrix containing
hydrocolloid and lipophilic substances that has been shown to promote
the proliferation of fibroblasts and to be atraumatic for patients. TLC-Ag
incorporates silver sulphate (3.5%) into the TLC matrix. When it is in contact
with the wound, the dressing releases a constant supply of antibacterial
silver. This article will discuss the use of antimicrobials in burn wound
management, show the evidence for the TLC-Ag antimicrobial healing
matrix and portray outcomes of cases of burns patients in India who have
been managed with TLC-Ag.
The Use of a Non-adherent Lipido-Colloid Dressings with Silver in the Management of Wounds
Silver has been used in wound care throughout the millennia for its
antimicrobial properties. It was used by many cultures, predominantly in
times of war, as an antimicrobial reservoir for food and water, from the
ancient Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans and Egyptians, up to the Second
World War (Alexander, 2009). The first mention of silver as a medicine
comes from Hippocrates, who used silver particles in wounds for its
beneficial therapeutic effects and anti-disease properties (Fong, 2005).
Meanwhile, John Woodall recommended the use of silver nitrate in
chronic wound management as early as 1617 (Klasen, 2000)
URGOTUL® AG/Silver Dressing as an Intermediate Layer in Negative Pressure Wound Therapy in a Patient with a Chronic Wound and History of Multiple Laparotomies
Treating of postoperative complications in patients after numerous laparotomies is
difficult. In the case of dehiscence the surgical wound, infection and the coexisting formation of
intestinal fistulas requires a multidisciplinary approach. In these cases, vacuum assisted thera py is very useful. However, it is necessary to protect the intestines, fistula and surrounding tissu es from the action of polyurethane foam – protect the intestines and skin against ingrowing into
the black foam. A 54-years-old male patient, with a history of numerous laparotomies was admit ted to Clinic to treat complications after left-sided nephrectomy. The patient developed intestinal
and enterocutaneous fistulas. Wound dehiscence and necrosis of surrounding tissues was pre sent. Negative pressure wound therapy was applied. Dressing was changed three times. Correc tion of the stomy was performed. UrgoTul® Ag/Silver was applied each time between the wound
and the polyurethane foam as a protective intermediate layer. The use of UrgoTul® Ag/Silver (in
patients with infection, dehiscence of wounds, and with enterocutaneous fistulas) showed a si gnificant decrease in the secretion from the intestinal fistula. Healing and closure of the surgical
wound, its epithelialization and elimination of inflammation of the abdominal wall was observed.
Wound management with Technology Lipido-Colloid Silver Non-Adherent dressing a case series from Chinese clinicians
Prevention and appropriate management of wound infection is central
to promote the healing process. While not all wounds will necessitate
use of systemic antibiotics, some may benefit from the use of topical
antimicrobials as part of a holistic standard of care. This article describes
five different cases, from China, where the clinicians used Technology
Lipido-Colloid Silver Non-Adherent (TLC-Ag) dressings as part of their
holistic multidisciplinary wound management strategy. The wounds
discussed were mainly chronic, including two venous leg ulcers and
lymphoedema ulcer, a post-amputation wound as well as a case of
pyoderma gangrenosum. Managing these wounds with TLC-Ag as a part
of the standard holistic multidisciplinary care provided resulted in positive
outcomes for the patients.
When the Tissue Viability Nurse becomes a patient reflections on a personal journey
This paper presents a reflection of my journey as a patient following a breast
abscess. As an experienced community nurse with a specialist interest in tissue
viability, we daily assess a range of different wound types and are adept at early
identification and management of an infected wound. We instinctively know which
dressing type to use to manage localised wound infection and slough and reduce
pain for patients; however, when the nurse becomes the patient with a wound and
has welcomed a new born child into the world, we can suddenly lose the specialist
knowledge. This paper reflects on a journey I recently experienced.
Silver Dressings for the Healing of Venous Leg Ulcer a Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review
Abstract
This study was aimed to evaluate whether silver-containing dressings were superior to other types of dressings in the treatment of
venous leg ulcers (VLU) and their specific advantages.
Eight databases (Cochrane Library, PubMed, Web of Science, Ovid-Medline, Wanfang, VIP, China Biology Medicine, and China
National Knowledge Infrastructure) were systematically reviewed from inception to May 2019 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs).
The primary outcome was complete wound healing, and the secondary outcomes included absolute wound size changes (change of
cm2 area since baseline), relative changes (percentage change of area relative to baseline), and healing rate. Two reviewers
independently evaluated the risk of bias using the Cochrane Collaboration assessment tool and extracted the data according to the
predesigned table. All analyses were performed using the latest Review Manager Software (version 5.3).
A total of 8 studies qualified and were included in the meta-analysis, including 1057 patients (experiment: 526, control: 531). Both
complete wound healing and wound healing rates were reported in 5 studies. Two and 3 studies reported the effect of silver
dressings on absolute and relative wound size changes, respectively. Most of the studies used intention-to-treat analysis.
There was sufficient evidence that silver-containing dressings can accelerate the healing rate of chronic VLU and improve their
healing in a short duration of time. However, compared with other dressings, clinical trials with long-term follow-up data are needed to
confirm whether silver dressings have advantages regarding complete wound healing.
Abbreviations: CBM = China Biology Medicine, CI = confidence interval, CNKI = China National Knowledge Infrastructure,
PRISMA = Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis, Q test = Chi-Squared test, RCTs = randomized
controlled trials, RD = risk difference, SMD = standardized mean difference, VLU = venous leg ulcers, WMD = weighted mean
difference.
Keywords: silver dressings, venous leg ulcer, wound healing, meta-analysis
Addressing Wound Chronicity Factors UrgoClean AG® and UrgoStart® Case Studies
Chronic wounds are a perennial problem in clinical practice and place a burden
on patients, their families and healthcare providers. By addressing factors that
contribute to chronicity (slough, biofilm, elevated levels of metalloproteinases
and impaired angiogenesis), in addition to managing a patient’s comorbidities,
nutritional status and lifestyle, there is a greater chance of healing. This article
discusses the mechanisms by which UrgoClean Ag and UrgoStart support a
healthy wound environment, along with two case studies of their use in practice.
A Prospective Randomized Study The Usefulness and Efficacy of Negative Pressure Wound Therapy with Lipido-Colloid Polyester Mesh Compared to Traditional Negative Pressure Wound Therapy for Treatment of Pressure Ulcers
To improve healing of pressure ulcer wounds, it is important to optimize the conditions
of the area surrounding the wound. Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) promotes wound
healing, however, the removal of NPWT can cause pain or focal bleeding, delaying wound healing or
causing infection. In this study, we reviewed the e cacy of the lipidocolloid non-adherent dressing
(Urgotul®) as a wound contact layer. A total of 38 patients from the same facility who applied
NPWT from April 2016 to October 2019 were included and divided into two groups; NPWT with
the lipidocolloid non-adherent dressing (group 1, experimental group, 19 patients) and NPWT only
(group 2, control group, 19 patients). The condition of the wound was examined prior to NPWT
application, at one week, and again at three weeks after application. No significant di erences were
found between groups for general characteristics, bacterial culture or photo analysis. However,
when comparing groups based on the time of examination, there was a significant reduction of the
wound size in group 1 (p = 0.001) but not in group 2 (p = 0.082). Therefore, the current study finds
that using the lipidocolloid non-adherent dressing as a wound contact layer in NPWT stimulates
healing by shrinking the size of the pressure ulcer wound.
Moving the chronic wound along the healing trajectory
Chronic wounds are an ever-growing challenge for clinicians and represent a
huge burden on healthcare resources (Harding, 2002). They have been referred
to as a silent epidemic that is affecting a large number of people in the world
population (Gottrup, 2004). However, due to a better understanding of what
makes a wound chronic, several new treatments that offer better outcomes
for the patient and a broader choice for the clinician have been developed
(Harding, 2002). A sterile, non-adherent, slough-trapping, poly-absorbent fibre
dressing with the technologie lipido-colloïde (TLC) healing matrix to promote
wound healing and enable pain-free dressing changes, which can be used for
gentle desloughing, has been developed by Urgo. The slough-trapping fibres
(poly-absorbent) have been shown to bind and trap the slough within the
dressing, providing safe and effective desloughing (Kelly et al, 2013), while the
silver lipido-colloid matrix in the antimicrobial version, has been established
in its efficacy in the management of chronic wounds presenting with a risk
of infection as demonstrated through previous randomised controlled trials
(Harding et al, 2012; Lazareth et al, 2012).