Evaluation of Drawtex, in vitro and In vivo effects

Good wound bed preparation is an essential aspect of wound care and effective wound healing. Removal of dead and necrotic tissue either through autolytic or interventional debridement, followed by good exudate management, inhibition of matrix metalloproteases and bacterial bioburden control should allow the chronic wound to process to closure. It is known, still, that wound healing in these circumstances is not a simple process and that maintaining a healthy wound bed is central to the process. Many practitioners rely on the TIME (Tissue, Infection/Inflammation, Moisture balance and wound Edge) framework to help them with wound bed preparation and there are a variety of dressings available to help with debridement, exudate management, reduction of bacterial bioburden and inhibit metalloproteases. The sequence of application of the various dressings will depend upon their function. This study describes the function of a dressing, Drawtex, a hydroconductive dressing, which can be used to assist with wound bed preparation through its absorption, sequestration and retention properties. The absorption over time, ability to sequester and retain bacteria were assessed in the laboratory using a variety of methods. Drawtex was shown to absorb eight times its own weight in fluid over time and it showed a 90% reduction in bacterial numbers over a 24hr period in sequestration experiments. Utilisation of direct observation by scanning electron microscopy demonstrated bacterial retention in the fibres.