Topical oxygen treatment relieves pain from hard-to-heal leg ulcers and improves healing: a case series.

Managing painful hard-to-heal leg ulcers is challenging with current therapeutic options. Wounds are prone to being hypoxic, and the subsequent pain is often related to hypoxia. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is used to treat hard-to-heal leg wounds by delivering 100% oxygen at a pressure 2-3 times higher than atmospheric pressure. Unfortunately, most patients cannot be offered HBOT because it is costly and needs to be applied at specialised centres. Therefore, topical continuous oxygen therapy (TCOT) is a novel alternative for continuous local oxygen delivery to wounds and is associated with improved wound healing; however, its effect on painful wounds is unknown. This retrospective study was conducted on 20 patients, of whom 17 had painful hard-to-heal leg ulcers. In 13 patients (76%) with painful ulcers, TCOT was associated with rapid and substantial pain alleviation. Also, eight (40%) of the patients' wounds healed entirely with TCOT. This study suggests that TCOT may represent a novel pain management device for hard-to-heal wounds.

Wound debridement products and techniques: clinical examples and literature review.

The term "debridement" stands for the removal of necrotic material, scabs, devitalized tissues, dried serous fluid, infected tissues, biofilm, stratified epidermis, pus, hematomas, foreign bodies, bone fragments and other impurities whose presence delays wound healing. It is an inseparable element of wound healing therapy. Properly performed debridement leads to improvement of microcirculation in the wound, reduction in inflammation and lowering of the level of metalloproteinases, stimulation of wound edges and epidermis, reduction in unpleasant odour and reduction in the risk of infection and improvement of the patient's quality of life. There are many debridement techniques approved by the European Wound Management Association. The selection of the most appropriate method depends on many factors such as tissue type, presence of biofilm, depth and location of the wound, underlying cause (venous, arterial), skills of the person performing the debridement and the preferences of the patient him/herself. In our work we present not only a systematic review of most of the debridement techniques used nowadays, but also our clinical cases showing results of those different techniques.

Comparison of the efficacy of novel non-invasive mechanical debridement methods - sterile sponge, monofilament fibre cloth and non-woven cloth impregnated with sodium hyaluronate and phospholipids in relation to traditional sterile gauze.

Introduction: According to the European guidelines, the first step for local wound preparation is debridement, which stands for removing of devitalized tissue such as slough or necrosis. There are numerous types of debridement, but not all of them can be performed by non-specialists. Most of the research investigating efficiency of novel debridement products are carried out or funded by pharmaceutical companies. Aim: To compare the efficacy of relative necrotic tissue removal after 30 days on patients subjected to debridement with sterile sponge, monofilament fibre cloth, non-woven cloth impregnated with sodium hyaluronate and phospholipids and traditional sterile gauze. Material and methods: By use of photographic documentation at 7 days' intervals and planimetry methods, the total wound surface area and sloughy tissue area was measured. Results: Results have shown that monofilament cloth was the most effective, removing on average 63.44 ±32.91% of necrotic tissue after the first procedure and 74.65 ±30.95% within 30 days of application, in comparison to the sterile gauze group that had on average only 23.53 ±19.16% of necrotic tissue removed at day 0 and 44.95 ±31.47% removed at day 30. Moreover, patients using all 3 products tested reported higher satisfaction with that treatment than those treated with gauze. Conclusions: Results imply that all those methods could be considered as they are well accepted by patients and cause less pain during the procedure, which is essential for good compliance and complete resolution of the lesions.

Chronic venous disorders - common and yet unknown - a study of public awareness and primary symptoms in a selected group of patients.

INTRODUCTION: Chronic venous disorder (CVD) is thoroughly spread across the globe. It affects about 40% of the Polish population. European guidelines underline that there are no data on the percentage of people who have first symptoms of chronic venous insufficiency. AIM: To determine the frequency and pattern of first symptoms and examine public knowledge on CVD in a selected group of patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Our study group consists of 175 patients who took part in preventive assessment of nevi. To determine public knowledge on CVD, we constructed a questionnaire, which consisted of two sections: one part to be completed by the patient and the other by the doctor. RESULTS: The median age was 41 years. From 175 patients, about 40% claimed that they do not recognize CVD. Only about half of them knew how to diagnose and treat it. Most of them associate telangiectasia and varicose veins as primary signs and symptoms of CVD. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the fact that the disease itself is common, the level of public awareness is astonishingly low. Majority of patients tested could not associate first signs and symptoms, even though most of them had primary symptoms of the disease. In order to avoid high-cost treatment of ulcers and varicose veins, we should spread the knowledge on CVD.

Cutaneous cryptococcosis: an underlying immunosuppression? Clinical manifestations, pathogenesis, diagnostic examinations and treatment.

Due to constantly growing population of immunocompromised patients the fungi became a widespread threat to modern medicine. HIV carriers, solid organ transplant recipients constitute most of those patients. Cryptococcosis is a frequent cause of life-threatening infections, affecting mostly immunosuppressed patients. This article presents current knowledge on cryptococcal infections, including epidemiology, clinical aspects, diagnosis and recommended treatment. In reference to our patient, who developed a disseminated and fulminant subtype of the disease, we wanted to underline the need to examine patients thoroughly. The highest aim of those measures would be to avoid lethal consequences.

Nanomaterials as a Successor of Antibiotics in Antibiotic-Resistant, Biofilm Infected Wounds?

Chronic wounds are a growing problem for both society and patients. They generate huge costs for treatment and reduce the quality of life of patients. The greatest challenge when treating a chronic wound is prolonged infection, which is commonly caused by biofilm. Biofilm makes bacteria resistant to individuals' immune systems and conventional treatment. As a result, new treatment options, including nanomaterials, are being tested and implemented. Nanomaterials are particles with at least one dimension between 1 and 100 nM. Lipids, liposomes, cellulose, silica and metal can be carriers of nanomaterials. This review's aim is to describe in detail the mode of action of those molecules that have been proven to have antimicrobial effects on biofilm and therefore help to eradicate bacteria from chronic wounds. Nanoparticles seem to be a promising treatment option for infection management, which is essential for the final stage of wound healing, which is complete wound closure.