Roosa Salmi and Savannah Saye
Introduction
We found this article interesting, because we have gotten familiar with chronic wound care in previous clinical practices. We have noticed that there is a definite need for an innovative product that would help us treat a wound not only more gently but also more efficiently, and prevent it from becoming chronic. As the article points out, cleaning and dressing chronic wounds require a lot of time and attention from nursing staff, and this wound dressing would save a lot of resources. For example, bed-bound patients in nursing homes or even patients staying in intensive care units for longer periods of time may develop pressure ulcers. It seems that treating these with a smart bandage would be a potential option. This way, more resources are left for other, life sustaining nursing interventions. This smart wound dressing could also be used to dress surgical wounds and patients could monitor wound healing at home.
How does it work
Bandage functions through specialized fluorescent sensors that detect oxygen, glucose as well as pH levels. The pH level is important when evaluating the healing process. The pH level rises to 8 before falling to 5 or 6 when wound heals normally. However, when wound healing process starts to fail and becomes chronic the pH level alternates between 7 and 8. When certain substances appear in the wound fluid, sensors start glowing in certain color. Colors can be seen with UV lamps that are available in electronics stores. Weaker and stronger changes in color can be recognized with the help of color scale, informing nursing staff whether the pH level is permanently too high.
Use and safety
It is not known yet how the sensors work in more complex wounds since there is lack of research concerning chemical's compatibility with cells and tissues. After reading this article, we were left wondering how hygienic it is to leave the bandage on compared to changing dressings regularly. Could this smart wound dressing replace traditional wound care and nurses’ professional assessment of the condition of the wound? Further research is needed to study how the chemicals in the bandage react with cells and tissues and how the bandage works with more complex, infected wounds.
Future views
This high-tech wound bandage with specialized sensors is said to provide information of the wound’s healing process without having to change dressings unless necessary. This product was developed to avoid unnecessary skin irritation and infections, to ease nurses work and to lower costs. It was said that 17 billion $ were spent on treating wounds in 2016. These smart wound dressings would be 20% more expensive compared to current industrial dressings. If these dressings fulfill their purpose and do what they are intended to do, they could save a lot of money in the future.
References
Peter, M. (2017). Wound-healing sensor - Bandage with a voice. Empa, Material Science and Technology. Online document. Available at https://www.empa.ch/web/s604/wound-healing-sensor.