ABSTRACT
In some patients with chronic wounds, the surrounding skin is so injured due to various underlying conditions that negative pressure dressing cannot be applied or cannot function properly. Having faced this problem in our everyday practice, we developed a new skin-sparing technique for vacuum-assisted wound closure, which ensures that the peri-wound skin does not come into contact with the transparent adhesive films. Methods: For 9 months (April-December 2022), we performed 32 vacuum wound dressings with the newly developed technique using the 3M ActiV.A.C. Therapy Unit and accessories, and Convatec's VARIHESIVE, avoiding skin contact with the adhesive films. Results: Seven patients with 11 wounds who had sensitive skin or allergy to the conventionally used adhesive films were successfully treated with the new technique. The negative pressure wound dressings remained intact and functioned properly for up to 168 hours without compromising patients' daily activities and therapy. Conclusion: The novel "no foil-to-skin contact" technique for vacuum-assisted wound closure can successfully be incorporated in the treatment of patients in whom conventional negative pressure dressings are otherwise not applicable.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND Cameron lesions are linear erosions and ulcers on the crests of gastric mucosal folds in the neck of a hiatal hernia and can be difficult to diagnose and treat. This report is of a case of chronic iron deficiency in a 61-year-old woman with a late diagnosis of a Cameron lesion, who did not respond to a single treatment with the proton pump inhibitor (PPI) pantoprazole, but was then treated with oral poloxamer 407 with hyaluronic acid and chondroitin sulfate in addition to PPI. CASE REPORT We report the case of a 61-year-old women with recurrent iron-deficiency anemia, first diagnosed 40 years prior to her presentation at our Endoscopy Unit, and an ongoing melena. We discovered an intrahiatal gastric mucosal defect, which we at first treated with proton pump inhibitors and sucralfate. After a follow-up gastroscopy revealed the persistence of the lesion, we decided to incorporate into the treatment a gel-like substance containing, among others, hyaluronic acid and chondroitin sulfate, and observed that the lesion resolved completely. CONCLUSIONS This report highlights that Cameron lesions should be considered in patients with hiatal hernia who have iron-deficiency anemia and can be diagnosed on upper endoscopy. Further clinical studies are required to determine the role of combined poloxamer 407 with hyaluronic acid and chondroitin sulfate in the management of Cameron lesions.
