It’s common knowledge that H1N1, the virus that causes swine flu, can be transmitted from person to person by coughing or sneezing. However, most people don’t realize that the simple act of changing a bandage may be enough to transmit the virus. Pathogens in a gauze dressing may become airborne while the dressing is being changed. Healthcare workers can become infected by touching the dressings or inhaling the airborne droplets. Bandages soaked in wound fluid can allow the virus to survive longer within the dressing.
Derma Sciences, a developer of wound care products, announced that its Bioguard Barrier Dressings effectively safeguarded against the H1N1 “swine flu” virus in an independent laboratory study. BCS Laboratories of Gainesville, Florida exposed two varieties of Bioguard gauze dressings to the H1N1 virus. After 24 hours, the quantity of the virus in both dressings had decreased by an average of 99.3 percent. The findings may help the Princeton, NJ-based company expand the use of Bioguard, which has previously demonstrated effectiveness against pathogens such as Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The dressings are designed to be non-leaching, antimicrobial, and effective even in the presence of wound fluid and blood. Derma Sciences began selling BioGuard in June.
The worldwide market for advanced wound care products is estimated to be $14 billion. A number of companies are utilizing innovative technologies to aid in the protection and healing of wounds:
CellerateRX wound filler from WoundCare Innovations is comprised of 95 percent collagen. The product has been shown to absorb up to 30 percent of its own weight in wound fluid, and it comes in both gel and powder forms.
NeoMend is using its proprietary hydrogel platform to develop a pipeline of wound sealants and barriers to prevent post-surgical adhesions (bands of scar tissues that form between organs following surgery).
3M Company has an extensive line of wound care products, including its Tegaderm Ag Mesh Dressing. The dressing contains silver sulfate to provide an antimicrobial barrier.
AquaMed produces hydrogel dressings that are engineered to have a cooling effect on the wound and absorb up to five times their weight in wound fluid. The company also manufactures silver-containing hydrogel dressings.
Coloplast markets a variety of dressings, including the ibuprofen-releasing Biatain Ibu, the antibacterial Physiotulle Ag (which has been shown efficacy against MRSA), wound-conforming SeaSorb, and Alione for highly exuding wounds.