Abstract
Objective: While myriads of studies have suggested that a survey of wound pH environment could indicate wound healing activities, it is not clear whether wound alkalinity can be used as a prognostic indicator of nonhealing wounds. Currently available systems cannot reliably assess the pH environment across wounds, which is the objective of this study.Approach: A disposable device, DETEC® pH, was developed and characterized on its ability to map wound alkalinity by pressing a freshly recovered wound dressing against its test surface. By comparing the wound's alkalinity and size reduction rates (∼7 days) following pH measurement, we assessed the capability of wound alkalinity to prognosticate subsequent short-term wound size reduction rates.Results: The device had high accuracy and specificity in determining the alkalinity of simulated wound fluids soaked onto wound dressing. The type of wound dressing type had an insignificant effect on its detection sensitivity. Upon testing discarded wound dressings from human patients, the device quickly determined alkaline and acidic wounds. Finally, statistical analyses of wound size reduction rates in wounds with various alkalinities confirmed that wound alkalinity has a strong influence on, at least, short-term wound healing activity.Innovation: Without directly contacting the patient, this device provides a quick assessment of wound alkalinity to prognosticate immediate and short-term wound healing activities.Conclusion: DETEC® pH may serve as a prognosis device for wound care specialists during routine wound assessment to predict wound healing progress. This information can assist the decision-making process in a clinical setting and augur well for chronic wound treatment. DETEC® pH can also be used as an aid for home health care nurses or health care providers to screen nonhealing wounds outside clinics.
Highlights
Chronic nonhealing wounds cost more than U.S $25 billion every year.[1]
Using simulated wound fluids (SWF) with different pH, we evaluated the ability of the device to indicate acidity and alkalinity on clinically used wound dressings through in vitro studies
Upon contact with a wound dressing soaked in SWF with various pH, a distinct pattern of colors appeared that correlated with the alkaline pH on the sides of the dressing with an acidic center region (Fig. 2)
Summary
Chronic nonhealing wounds cost more than U.S $25 billion every year.[1]. Preliminary assessment of these wounds is conducted through visual examination,[2] while additional assessments are done using wound photography, digital tracing, and microbiological culture.[3,4] these methods cannot a Hong Vu et al, 2019; Published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. Pulse oximetry can measure oxygen saturation and detect poorly healing areas,[5,6] but its output may be influenced by patients’ movement and can be unreliable.[7]
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