Assessment of Silver Levels in a Closed-Incision Negative Pressure Therapy Dressing: In Vitro and In Vivo Study.

Objective: In recent years, reticulated open-cell foam-based closed-incision negative pressure therapy (ROCF-ciNPT) has shown effectiveness in management of various postoperative incisions. These dressings consist of a skin interface layer that absorbs fluid from the skin surface and reduces the potential for microbial colonization within the dressing by means of ionic silver. This study examines the ability of silver to reduce the bioburden within the dressing as well as the localized effect due to potential silver mobility. Approach: Ability of silver to reduce bioburden within the ROCF-ciNPT dressing was assessed using Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Candida spp. Furthermore, silver mobility was assessed using an in vitro skin model to study the zone of inhibition along with released silver quantification. Using a porcine model, diffusion of silver into blood and tissue was studied using emission spectrometry and histology. Results: Microbial growth in the ROCF-ciNPT dressing was significantly reduced (∼2.7-4.9 log reduction) compared to a silver-free negative control. No zone of inhibition was observed for microbial colonies for up to 7 days with minimal localized silver release (<5.5 ppm release). In vivo studies demonstrated no measurable concentration (<0.2 µg/g) of silver in the blood, urine, feces, kidney, and liver tissue biopsy. Innovation: This study provides an important insight into silver concentration and mobility within the ROCF-ciNPT dressing, given emerging concerns associated with potential silver cytotoxicity. Conclusion: These results indicate the concentration of silver (0.019% silver by weight) in the ROCF-ciNPT dressings has been adequate to reduce bioburden within the skin interface layer, while severely limiting the amount of silver leaching out.

An Automated and Minimally Invasive Tool for Generating Autologous Viable Epidermal Micrografts.

OBJECTIVE: A new epidermal harvesting tool (CelluTome; Kinetic Concepts, Inc, San Antonio, Texas) created epidermal micrografts with minimal donor site damage, increased expansion ratios, and did not require the use of an operating room. The tool, which applies both heat and suction concurrently to normal skin, was used to produce epidermal micrografts that were assessed for uniform viability, donor-site healing, and discomfort during and after the epidermal harvesting procedure. DESIGN: This study was a prospective, noncomparative institutional review board-approved healthy human study to assess epidermal graft viability, donor-site morbidity, and patient experience. SETTING: These studies were conducted at the multispecialty research facility, Clinical Trials of Texas, Inc, San Antonio. PATIENTS: The participants were 15 healthy human volunteers. RESULTS: The average viability of epidermal micrografts was 99.5%. Skin assessment determined that 76% to 100% of the area of all donor sites was the same in appearance as the surrounding skin within 14 days after epidermal harvest. A mean pain of 1.3 (on a scale of 1 to 5) was reported throughout the harvesting process. CONCLUSIONS: Use of this automated, minimally invasive harvesting system provided a simple, low-cost method of producing uniformly viable autologous epidermal micrografts with minimal patient discomfort and superficial donor-site wound healing within 2 weeks.

Epidermal micrografts produced via an automated and minimally invasive tool form at the dermal/epidermal junction and contain proliferative cells that secrete wound healing growth factors.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this scientific study was to assess epidermal micrografts for formation at the dermal-epidermal (DE) junction, cellular outgrowth, and growth factor secretion. Epidermal harvesting is an autologous option that removes only the superficial epidermal layer of the skin, considerably limiting donor site damage and scarring. Use of epidermal grafting in wound healing has been limited because of tedious, time-consuming, and inconsistent methodologies. Recently, a simplified, automated epidermal harvesting tool (CelluTome Epidermal Harvesting System; Kinetic Concepts Inc, San Antonio, Texas) that applies heat and suction concurrently to produce epidermal micrografts has become commercially available. The new technique of epidermal harvesting was shown to create viable micrografts with minimal patient discomfort and no donor-site scarring. DESIGN: This study was a prospective institutional review board-approved healthy human study. SETTING: This study was conducted at the multispecialty research facility, Clinical Trials of Texas, Inc, in San Antonio, Texas. PATIENTS: The participants were 15 healthy human volunteers. RESULTS: Epidermal micrografts formed at the DE junction, and migratory basal layer keratinocytes and melanocytes were proliferative in culture. Basement membrane-specific collagen type IV was also found to be present in the grafts, suggesting that the combination of heat and vacuum might cause partial delamination of the basement membrane. Viable basal cells actively secreted key growth factors important for modulating wound healing responses, including vascular endothelial growth factor, hepatocyte growth factor, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, platelet-derived growth factor, and transforming growth factor α. CONCLUSIONS: Harvested epidermal micrografts retained their original keratinocyte structure, which is critical for potential re-epithelialization and repigmentation of a wound environment.

Information-seeking strategies of dental hygienists.

As health care practitioners, dental hygienists need information-gathering skills and the confidence to both perform literature searches in Internet databases and assess the results in order to utilize the wealth of scientific literature that supports evidence-based practice. The aim of this study was to assess the information-seeking strategies of dental hygienists. A self-administered electronic survey of thirty-eight questions was sent to 5,007 licensed dental hygienists in District III of the American Dental Hygienists' Association. The overall response rate was 7.9 percent (396/5,007). Most (90.9 percent) of the respondents were currently practicing dental hygiene, with 62.9 percent having practiced more than ten years. Approximately 56 percent had graduated from a two-year dental hygiene program and had graduated before 1998. Nearly all of the respondents who graduated in 1999 or after were confident using a computer (96.2 percent) and the Internet (95.4 percent); lower percentages of the pre-1999 graduates expressed such confidence (68.6 percent using a computer and 80.7 percent using the Internet). Most respondents (90.9 percent) who graduated in 1999 or after reported receiving evidence-based decision making (EBDM) training in their dental hygiene program- an increase over the 51.8 percent of pre-1999 graduates who reported having received it-though lower percentages (78.2 and 48.0 percent, respectively) reported thinking their EBDM training was adequate. Though the response rate was low, these results may suggest that information-gathering skills are being more effectively addressed in recent dental hygiene education than previously. Continuing education courses that teach hands-on navigation of databases and methods to search the scientific literature and analytically appraise it could increase both the skills and comfort level of dental hygienists, especially those who graduated more than a decade ago.

Neuropsychological and neurophysiological effects of strengthening exercise for early dementia: a pilot study.

Research demonstrates a positive effect of aerobic exercise on cognitive functioning in older adults. Unfortunately, aerobic exercise is often contraindicated for older adults due to cardiovascular and functional limitations. Low-intensity strengthening exercise may offer a practical alternative, but the neuropsychological benefits and potential neurophysiological mechanisms are less well understood. The current study evaluated the effects of a 10-week strengthening exercise intervention on cognitive functioning and EEG in a sample of 13 older adults with early dementia, and 9 normative controls. Results revealed beneficial effects of strengthening exercise on verbal memory coupled with frontal beta and delta power asymmetries and N200 amplitude asymmetry. Results point to increased cognitive efficiency following 10 weeks of strengthening exercise. The findings suggest it is feasible to conduct a strengthening intervention with early dementia patients, and to gather neuropsychological and neurophysiological data to evaluate outcomes. Strengthening exercise may serve as a useful alternative to aerobic exercise.