3 - Biofilms in wounds and wound dressing

Abstract

In the last decade, the association of microbial biofilm with delay or nonhealing of wounds has become widely accepted and intensely studied. The primary characteristics of microbial biofilm that have lead to this focus are its ability to quickly regenerate; its extremely high tolerance to antimicrobial agents; and its ability to compromise would healing, even when present at microbial loads well below levels traditionally considered infected and when classic clinical signs of infection are absent. Biomaterials used in wound management have been developed with target applications ranging from reducing microbial load to functioning as physical barriers to microbial contamination, with future applications looking toward the incorporation of diagnostic features. Other key considerations are inhibition of development of biofilm on the biomaterial itself and best practices for wound bed preparation. This chapter touches on these topics and summarizes the significance of microbial biofilm in wound care.