Color-Changing Burn Dressing Developed at UK University
VIDEO NOV 17, 2015
A "smart" medical dressing developed by scientists at the University of Bath that changes color when it detects infection will improve treatments for burns patients and help combat the global problem of antibiotic resistance by reducing the unnecessary use of antibiotics.
Children with burn wounds are particularly susceptible to bacterial infections because of their immature immune systems. Such infections can slow wound healing, leading to longer hospital stays as well as increased risk of permanent scarring. In severe cases, burn infection can lead to sepsis, which can kill.
It is currently extremely difficult for doctors to diagnose infections quickly and at the patient’s bedside. Existing methods take up to 48 hours and require removing the wound dressing which is painful and distressing for the patient and may result in slower healing and potentially life-long scarring. Due to this time delay, when a child with a burn shows symptoms of a possible infection, the clinician often has to treat them with antibiotics as a precaution before their infection is confirmed.
However, treatment with antibiotics when there is no infection can lead to bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics. Antibiotic resistance has been identified by world leaders as one of the biggest health threats we face today.
Scientists from the Department of Chemistry, in collaboration with the Healing Foundation Children’s Burns Research Centre, based at the Bristol Children’s Hospital, and the University of Brighton have developed a prototype dressing that will change color as soon as the wound is infected.
This will enable doctors to quickly treat only those patients with an infection, without giving unnecessary antibiotics to patients who may simply have symptoms due to a cold.
Dr Toby Jenkins, Reader in Biophysical Chemistry at Bath leading the project, explained: “Our medical dressing works by releasing fluorescent dye from nanocapsules triggered by the toxins secreted by disease-causing bacteria within the wound.
“The nanocapsules mimic skin cells in that they only break open when toxic bacteria are present; they aren’t affected by the harmless bacteria that normally live on healthy skin.
“Using this dressing will allow clinicians to quickly identify infections without removing it, meaning that patients can be diagnosed and treated faster. It could really help to save lives.”
Once the dressing has been proven to effectively detect infection in swab samples from patients, the team plans to work with healthcare company Hartmann to develop the dressing for use in hospitals in around four years.
To read the full story, click here.
The Point of Care Revolution: Ultrasound
MEDIA CENTER
SPONSORED BY:
Pediatric Nurse Expert Gives Birth To Neonatal Creation
November 17, 2015
Philippines Woman Gives Birth on Road After Traffic Stopped Help From Coming
November 17, 2015
Ore. Woman Saved by Paramedics After Being Hit by Train
November 17, 2015
Fla. Mobile Health Unit to Provide Medical Services to Needy Areas
November 17, 2015
Mass. Man Praises Firefighters who Saved his Life
November 17, 2015
Burned Firefighter Receives Most Extensive Face Transplant to Date
November 16, 2015
UK Students, Volunteers Create Community First Responder Group
November 16, 2015
Woman in Minivan Plows Into Crowd at Calif. Nightclub
November 16, 2015
Calif. Rescue Crews Save Two Residents Who Drove Off Cliff
November 16, 2015
Heroin Overdose Calls Rising in Alaska
November 15, 2015
10 Minutes, 2 Lives Saved: Mich. Officer Credited with Saving 2 Women
November 13, 2015
20 Hurt After Tour Bus Crashes in San Francisco's Union Square
November 13, 2015
California City Puts Fire Station, Medical Center Together
November 13, 2015
Helping EMS Responders Cope with Pediatric Fatalities
November 13, 2015
N.Y. EMS Providers Mistakenly Declare Patient Dead
November 13, 2015
North American Rescue C-A-T Tourniquet
From NORTH AMERICAN RESCUE (NAR)
Webinar Reviews EMS Response to 2011 Reno Air Race Crash
North American Rescue Announces Next Generation of C-A-T Tourniquet
November 13, 2015
From NORTH AMERICAN RESCUE (NAR)
Comic Book Creation Educates Kids About Asthma
First Firehouse Clinic in Calif. Opens
November 12, 2015
Why We Need to Teach "People Care"
Medical Technology Allows Wash. Woman to Survive
November 12, 2015
Utah Woman Suffers Permanent Injuries From Airbag Explosion
November 12, 2015
Minn. Man Fakes Seizure During Police Stop, Still Arrested
November 12, 2015
Voice your opinion!