A Comprehensive Review of Topical Odor-Controlling Treatment Options for Chronic Wounds.

The process of wound healing is often accompanied by bacterial infection or critical colonization, resulting in protracted inflammation, delayed reepithelization, and production of pungent odors. The malodor produced by these wounds may lower health-related quality of life and produce psychological discomfort and social isolation. Current management focuses on reducing bacterial activity within the wound site and absorbing malodorous gases. For example, charcoal-based materials have been incorporated into dressing for direct adsorption of the responsible gases. In addition, multiple topical agents, including silver, iodine, honey, sugar, and essential oils, have been suggested for incorporation into dressings in an attempt to control the underlying bacterial infection. This review describes options for controlling malodor in chronic wounds, the benefits and drawbacks of each topical agent, and their mode of action. We also discuss the use of subjective odor evaluation techniques to assess the efficacy of odor-controlling therapies. The perspectives of employing novel biomaterials and technologies for wound odor management are also presented.

Putting evidence into practice.

Radiation dermatitis, or radiodermatitis, is a significant symptom caused by radiation therapy for the treatment of cancerous and noncancerous conditions. Radiodermatitis can negatively affect patients' physical functioning and quality of life. The Oncology Nursing Society coordinated a Putting Evidence Into Practice (PEP) project team to develop a PEP resource summarizing current evidence for the management of patients with radiodermatitis. Oncology nurses play an important role in educating, assessing, and monitoring patients for this symptom. Many common nursing interventions for radiodermatitis are based on tradition or opinion and have not been researched thoroughly. In addition, evidence to support some current interventions in practice is lacking. This article presents information concerning radiodermatitis, summarizes the evidence-based review for its prevention and management, and identifies gaps in the literature, as well as opportunities for research, education, and practice.

HS-SPME-GC-MS analysis of body odor to test the efficacy of foot deodorant formulations.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Foot malodor is mostly due to short-chain fatty acids produced by bacterial metabolism of eccrine sweating. We aimed to develop a protocol for an objective (instrumental) efficacy evaluation of foot deodorant formulations. METHODS: Head-space solid-phase microextractions of target fatty acids from the feet of six healthy volunteers were analyzed by GC-MS. A comparative analysis of the treated vs. the untreated foot was performed in each subject after washing the feet with a physiologic solution and incubating at 36 degrees C for 24-72 h in tryptic soy agar growth medium. RESULTS: Acetic, butyric, isobutyric and isovaleric acids were identified as the main contributors to foot malodor in the majority of volunteers. Propionic, valeric and isocaproic acids were also detected in some subjects. Comparative analysis according to the protocol developed showed a statistically significant (P<0.01) reduction of target fatty acids ranging from -26.6% to -77.0%. CONCLUSION: The protocol developed is a convenient, sensitive and non-invasive method to test the efficacy of foot deodorant formulations in human volunteers.

Are biopolymers potential deodourising agents in wound management?

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the odour-adsorbing properties of biopolymers, with a view to using the findings to develop a novel dressing with odour-adsorbing properties. METHOD: The odour-adsorbing properties of a selection of biopolymers (aloe vera, tea tree oil, neem oil and manuka honey) and three commercially available dressings containing activated charcoal cloth (ACC) were quantitatively assessed using laboratory test equipment. An aloe vera-containing composite dressing, designed and developed by the authors, was also compared with the ACC dressings. RESULTS: Aloe vera was the most adsorbent of the biopolymers and a 40% dilution had comparable values to those of the ACC dressings. Furthermore, values for the novel composite dressing were similar to those of the ACC dressings. CONCLUSION: The novel composite dressing may be a potential alternative to ACC dressings, and has the added advantages of having antimicrobial properties as well as the ability to promote a moist wound environment. However, more research is needed.

Stoma care accessories: an overview of a crowded market.

While many stomas do not develop any problems, up to 55% of them do. Stoma accessories are often used to either prevent stoma problems or resolve them, but there is a potentially baffling array of products available. This article provides an overview of the accessories currently available, to assist the community nurse in the care of patients with stomas.

Morning breath odor: influence of treatments on sulfur gases.

We assessed the effects of several treatments on the concentrations of oral sulfur-containing gases, compounds thought to be responsible for morning breath. Upon awakening in the morning, healthy volunteers collected oral gas samples before and for eight hours after the following treatments: no treatment, brushing the teeth with toothpaste, brushing the tongue, rinsing with 5 mL of 3% hydrogen peroxide, breakfast ingestion, or swallowing two BreathAsure capsules. The gas samples were analyzed for sulfur-containing volatiles via gas chromatography. Baseline collections usually contained three sulfur gases: hydrogen sulfide, methanethiol, and dimethylsulfide. The effectiveness of a treatment was determined via comparison of the areas under gas concentrations-time curves with and without treatment. Brushing the teeth or ingestion of BreathAsure had no apparent influence on the sulfur gases. Ingestion of breakfast and tongue brushing resulted in strong trends toward decreased sulfur gases. Hydrogen peroxide significantly reduced the sulfur gas concentrations for eight hours.

Queratolisis plantar > / Sulcate plantar keratolysis

La queratólisis plantar sulcatum es un proceso cada vez más frecuente entre los adolescentes como consecuencia del uso progresivamente más extendido de calzado deportivo, que aumenta la transpiración de los pies, dando lugar a la creación de un microclima idóneo para el desarrollo de las bacterias responsables de este proceso. El tratamiento es sencillo; se basa en no usar de manera abusiva este tipo de calzado y en la aplicación tópica de antitranspirantes y antisépticos (AU)

[Neutralization of odors in colostomized patients. (multicenter study)]. / Neutralizadores del olor en personas colostomizadas.

The purpose of this study is to run a comparative, multi-centric study as a way to research and test two odor neutralizing agents having distinct forms, capsules or liquids. The objective is to identify an odor neutralizing agent which brings a solution to an as yet unsatisfactorily resolved problem, by this means providing greater security and discretion to a patient having undergone a colostomy and increasing that patient's quality of life. This study concludes that the capsule neutralizing agent appears to be the most desired treatment form both in the opinion of those having undergone a colostomy as among the researchers due to its efficiency and ease of use.

NaturCare from AlphaMed: the non-scented ostomy deodorant.

NaturCare is an ostomy deodorant manufactured and distributed by AlphaMed. Currently, it is the only non-scented deodorant available on prescription. Odour can be extremely stressful to both the person with a stoma (ostomist) and those involved in their care. Since NaturCare has no artificial scents added to its formula, it can be extremely helpful to those who find the odour embarrassing.

[Study on odor control using wood vinegars].

The effectiveness of wood vinegars reducing or eliminating offensive odors, associated with cattle breeding, was studied. The results obtained were as follows: 1. Analyzed were 0.7-7.2% acetic acid and 0.5-1.8% methyl alcohol as main contents. 2. Gaseous odorants, such as ammonia, trimethylamine, n-butyric acid were almost eliminated through absorption using 1-20% wood vinegar solutions. 3. The same gaseous odorants, mentioned above, when confined to an airtight vessel, were eliminated in a short time by adding a little volume of wood vinegars to it. The effect was maintained for 2 weeks. 4. A sensory test was performed to evaluate the degree of deodorization, such as odor intensity and odor acceptability. Results showed that wood vinegars have a good deodorant effect on the offensive odors.