New Nanocellulose Wound Dressing That Reveals Early Signs of Infection Without Interfering Healing Process Developed [Study]

Skin is the largest organ in our body. A wound can disrupt its normal function, but a new wound dressing made from nanocellulose is a game changer.

Nanocellulose Wound Dressing Works Without Removal

Researchers at Linköping University in Sweden have created a nanocellulose wound patch that can detect early signals of infection without getting in the way of the healing process. The new study is a step toward developing a novel approach to wound care, Phys.org reported.

A wound interferes with the skin's normal function, can be highly painful for the patient, take a long time to heal, and, in the worst situation, may even result in death if it is not properly cared for. Furthermore, regarding the total cost of outpatient care, wounds that take a long time to heal significantly burden society.

Approximately every two days, dressings are changed as part of standard wound care. Care professionals must remove the bandage to examine the wound and test whether it is infected. As the scab constantly breaks, this painful technique hinders wound healing. Every time the wound is exposed, the danger of infection rises.

Together with colleagues from the universities of Rebro and Lule, Linköping University researchers have created a nanocellulose wound dressing that can detect early indications of infection without impeding healing.

A new approach to wound care that can result in more effective treatment and enhance the quality of life for patients with difficult-to-heal wounds is made possible by instantly determining whether a wound has become infected without removing the dressing. According to Daniel Aili, a professor at Linköping University's Division of Biophysics and Bioengineering, it can also decrease the overuse of antibiotics.

The dressing is designed to stay the entire healing process. Also, should there be an infection, one need not remove it to see it because it will reflect in the dressing material's color.

The pH level in uninfected wounds is around 5.5. The wound becomes more basic as the infection progresses and may reach a pH of 8 or higher.

The researchers utilized bromthymol blue, or BTB, a dye that turns blue when the pH level rises above 7, to make the wound dressing indicate a higher pH value. BTB must be loaded onto a silica substance with pores just a few nanometers wide for it to be employed in the dressing without harm. The dressing and silica material could then be mixed without affecting the nanocellulose. As a result, infection causes a wound dressing to turn blue.

New Nano Dressing With Antibiotics

Wound infections are often treated with antibiotics. However, if the infection is caught early enough, an antibiotic is not necessary.

In order to combat this, Aili and his colleagues at Rebro University created anti-microbial compounds based on so-called lipopeptides, which are known to eradicate all varieties of bacteria.

Combining the anti-microbial ingredient with the dressing may lessen the danger of infection and reduce the abuse of antibiotics, according to Aili. He added that antibiotic use makes illnesses more challenging as multi-resistant bacteria are more prevalent. Combining the anti-microbial agent with the dressing can lower the infection risk and avoid overusing antibiotics.

The results of the study were published in Materials Today Bio.

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