Effectiveness of moist dressings in wound healing after surgical suturing: A Bayesian network meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials

A single-centre RetrospeCtive sTudy Investigating patient-reported outcomeS of extended dressing wear time for incisional healing following orthopaedic surgery: the ARCTIS study

OBJECTIVE

Orthopaedic surgery is an effective intervention for treating the symptoms of degenerative joint disease or osteoarthritis (OA). Frequent wound dressing changes, unless clinically indicated, can disrupt the healing process and increase the occurrence of incision site contamination. Protection from contamination is critical for surgical incisions and, therefore, undisturbed wound healing (UWH) in surgical wound management is vital. This article describes a retrospective study reporting the clinical performance of a self-adherent, absorbent postoperative dressing, with a focus on dressing wear time.

METHOD

A single-centre, retrospective electronic medical record review of a convenience sample of adult patients treated with a dressing (Mepilex Border Post Op; Mölnlycke, Sweden) following elective hip or knee replacement was undertaken. Data relating to dressing wear time, rationale for dressing changes and patient-reported outcomes were extracted from a mobile health application moveUP Therapy (moveUP NV, Belgium). Health-related quality of life assessment was conducted using the EQ-5D-5L questionnaire and orthopaedic-specific quality of life (QoL) indicator tools.

RESULTS

Of the 558 records reviewed, 151 respondents (27.1%) reported outcomes relating to dressing wear time and frequency of dressing change. The average wear time of the first dressing was 13.6 days (second dressing: 5.3 days). The proportion of patients who wore the first dressing for 1-7 days, 8-13 days and for ≥14 days was 17.2%, 13.2% and 69.5%, respectively. Data from the completed questionnaires revealed improvement in QoL over time.

CONCLUSION

The results of this study are a good indicator of the suitability of the postoperative dressing for a 14-day wear time, in line with the principles of UWH.

From emerging modalities to advanced applications of hydrogel piezoelectrics based on chitosan, gelatin and related biological macromolecules: A review

The rapid development of functional materials and manufacturing technologies is fostering advances in piezoelectric materials (PEMs). PEMs can convert mechanical energy into electrical energy. Unlike traditional power sources, which need to be replaced and are inconvenient to carry, PEMs have extensive potential applications in smart wearable and implantable devices. However, the application of conventional PEMs is limited by their poor flexibility, low ductility, and susceptibility to fatigue failure. Incorporating hydrogels, which are flexible, stretchable, and self-healing, providing a way to overcome these limitations of PEMs. Hydrogel-based piezoelectric materials (H-PEMs) not only resolve the shortcomings of traditional PEMs but also provide biocompatibility and more promising application potential. This paper summarizes the working principle of H-PEMs. Recent advances in the use of H-PEMs as sensors and in vitro energy harvesting devices for smart wearable devices are described in detail, with emphasis on application scenarios in human body like fingers, wrists, ankles, and feet. In addition, the recent progress of H-PEMs in implantable medical devices, especially the potential applications in human body parts such as bones, skin, and heart, are also elaborated. In addition, challenges and potential improvements in H-PEMs are discussed.

Fabrication and Properties of the Multifunctional Rapid Wound Healing Panax notoginseng@Ag Electrospun Fiber Membrane

The Panax notoginseng@Ag core/shell electrospun fiber membrane was prepared by coaxial electrospinning combined with the UV reduction method (254 nm). The prepared Panax notoginseng@Ag core/shell nanofiber membrane has a three-dimensional structure, and its swelling ratio could reach as high as 199.87%. Traditional Chinese medicine Panax notoginseng can reduce inflammation, and the silver nanoparticles have antibacterial effects, which synergistically promote rapid wound healing. The developed Panax notoginseng@Ag core/shell nanofiber membrane can effectively inhibit the growth of the Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli and the Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus. The wound healing experiments in Sprague Dawley mice showed that the wound residual area rate of the Panax notoginseng@Ag core/shell electrospun nanofiber membrane group was only 1.52% on day 9, and the wound of this group basically healed on day 12, while the wound residual area rate of the gauze treatment group (control group) was 16.3% and 10.80% on day 9 and day 12, respectively. The wound of the Panax notoginseng@Ag core/shell electrospun nanofiber membrane group healed faster, which contributed to the application of the nanofiber as Chinese medicine rapid wound healing dressings.