Using electroceutical treatment to reduce symptoms and improve healing in chronic wounds

Abstract

Chronic inflammation in a wound is often associated with infection and biofilm, which are linked to raised matrix metalloproteinases (elevated protease activity) and reduced cell production along with growth hormones in the wound bed. This causes persistent challenges to healthcare professionals and increases the costs of wound management; the related symptoms also affect the quality of life (QoL) of patients living with wounds that are hard to heal. Electrical energy known as the 'current of injury' is required to assist in tissue repair. It allows different cell types, such as white blood cells, growth factors, enzymes and fibroblasts, into the wound to allow for stimulation of cell proliferation and collagen synthesis. In chronic wounds, the current of injury becomes disrupted due to biofilms, infection and unhealthy tissue in the wound bed. This prevents the wound from going through normal physiological healing. Use of electrical stimulation and electroceutical treatment effectively restores the current of injury, expediting normal healing and reducing chronic inflammation, biofilms, infection and associated symptoms, such as pain and high exudate. Clinical outcomes and QoL are improved and there are also economic benefits.

Microstructured Electroceutical Fiber‐Device for Inhibition of Bacterial Proliferation in Wounds

“…As bacteria multiply and colonize the host environment, they form a biofilm, which can eventually lead to the development of an infection. However, it has been shown that the application of an externally produced electric field can prevent the transmission of autoinducers; [ 41–43 ] specifically, acyl‐homoserine and autoinducing peptides expression for gram‐negative and gram‐positive bacteria. This concept is depicted in Figure 1b for Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA01), Acinetobacter baumannii (ACIN), and Staphylococcus aureus (STAPH).…”