Improved wound healing of cutaneous sulfur mustard injuries in a weanling pig model
 
Graham, J.S., Stevenson, R.S., Deckert, R.R., Hamilton, T.A., Mitcheltree, L.W., Lee, R.B.
Significant cutaneous sulfur mustard (HD) injuries can take several months to heal, necessitate lengthy hospitalizations, and result in significant cosmetic and/or functional deficits. There are currently no standardized or optimized methods of casualty management that prevent or minimize deficits and provide for speedy wound healing. We have formulated strategies for the development of improved therapies, with the aim of returning damaged skin to optimal appearance and normal function in the shortest period of time. Wound healing studies were conducted using a validated weanling pig model. Established partial-thickness (e.g., superficial dermal) HD injuries were debrided at 48h post-exposure using an erbium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Er:YAG) laser, followed by application of a treatment adjunct. Examples of adjuncts tested include a variety of dressings (foam, hydrocolloid, thin film, matrix metallaprotease-binding, and silver impregnated), cultured epithelial allografts, and spray application of autologous keratinocytes. Adjuncts were left in place for 7 days. A variety of non-invasive bioengineering methods were conducted during a 2-week post-surgical observation period to examine various functional aspects of the skin, including skin color, firmness, elasticity, thickness, and barrier function. Histopathology was performed on skin samples collected at the end of the observation period. Several treatment adjuncts yielded promising results and warrant further investigation.
Proceedings of the medical defense bioscience review, 2006
45
 
© Copyright 2007 Joshua P. Gray