Traumatic, Full-Thickness Wounds: How an Advanced Dressing Can Help

A recent case presented in a poster at SAWC emphasizes the unique nature of traumatic, full-thickness wounds. Full-thickness wounds due to trauma, especially those left out to the open for extended periods, are not only at risk of becoming infected and chronic but can also greatly negatively impact patient quality of life. A study from 2021 on the correlation between trauma wound severity and infection rates found an infection prevalence of 6% of the 150,948 patients in the study.¹ Of those with infection, approximately 10% had a greater mortality rate in the hospital than those without infection.¹

Delayed or lack of access to care can increase risk of complication for these patients, and although it is reported that “the majority of the United States has access to trauma care within an hour,” there are approximately 30 million US residents who face barriers such as insurance status, income level, and location.² For these reasons, wound care professionals should ensure the use of standard of care and best evidence based practices when managing these wounds.²

In addition to standard of care like sharp debridement, bioresorbable polymeric matrixes with antimicrobial properties can prove invaluable in the treatment of these wounds. A 2020 study found that the use of a bioresorbable polymeric matrix impregnated with silver was effective at moving stalled, chronic wounds out of the inflammatory phase and into the proliferative phase.³ In tandem with its antimicrobial properties, as a result of slow-release ionic and metallic silver present in its layers, these matrixes support the migration of keratinocytes and other cells across the wound bed by acting as a scaffold. Bioresorbable polymeric matrixes impregnated with silver can aid in treating complicated wounds with risk of infection.³

Read the full article and see the poster on WoundSource.

References:

1. Komori A, Iriyama H, Kainoh T, et al. The impact of infection complications after trauma differs according to trauma severity. Sci Rep. 2021;(11):13803. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-93314-5
2. Carr B, Bowman A, Wolff C, et al. Disparities in access to trauma care in the United States: a population-based analysis. Injury. 2017; 48(2): 332-338. doi: 10.1016/j.injury.2017.01.008
3. Manning SW, Humphrey DA, Shillinglaw WR. Efficacy of a bioresorbable matrix in healing complex chronic wounds: An open-label prospective pilot study. Wounds. 2020;32(11):309-318. https://www.hmpgloballearningnetwork.com/site/wounds/article/efficacy-b…