Abstract
Thermal injuries pose a risk for service members in prolonged field care (PFC) situations or to civilians in levels of lower care. Without access to prompt surgical intervention and treatment, potentially salvageable tissues are compromised, resulting in increases in both wound size and depth. Immediate debridement of necrotic tissue enhances survivability and mitigates the risks of burn shock, multiple organ failure, and infection. However, due to the difficulty of surgical removal of the burn eschar in PFC situations and lower levels of care, it is of utmost importance to develop alternative methods for burn stabilization. Studies have indicated that cerium(III) nitrate may be used to prolong the time before surgical intervention is required. The objective of this study was to incorporate cerium(III) nitrate into an electrospun dressing that could provide burst release. Select dosages of cerium(III) nitrate were dissolved with either pure solvent or polyethylene oxide (PEO) for coaxial or traditional electrospinning set-ups, respectively. The solutions were coaxially electrospun onto a rotating mandrel, resulting in a combined nonwoven mesh, and then compared to traditionally spun solutions. Dressings were evaluated for topography, morphology, and porosity using scanning electron microscopy and helium pycnometry. Additionally, cerium(III) loading efficiency, release rates, and cytocompatibility were evaluated in both static and dynamic environments. Imaging showed randomly aligned polymer nanofibers with fiber diameters of 1161 ± 210 nm and 1090 ± 250 nm for traditionally and coaxially spun PEO/cerium(III) nitrate dressings, respectively. Assay results indicated that the electrospun dressings contained cerium(III) nitrate properties, with the coaxially spun dressings containing 33% more cerium(III) nitrate than their traditionally spun counterparts. Finally, release studies revealed that PEO-based dressings released the entirety of their contents within the first hour with no detrimental cytocompatibility effects for coaxially-spun dressings. The study herein shows the successful incorporation of cerium(III) nitrate into an electrospun dressing.
Highlights
The removal of necrotic tissue and access to IV fluid resuscitation may be delayed for more than 72 h, which increases the chances of sepsis, burn shock, multiple organ failure, and mortality [5]
To combat the aforementioned issues and minimize the burn morbidities associated with prolonged field care scenarios, novel wound dressings are needed to help extend the time needed for patients to receive specialized care
In order to combat the aforementioned issues associated with the treatment of burn pathologies in areas without a burn center, the objective of this study was to incorporate polymer vehicle for the dressing was polyethylene oxide, which is known for having a very rapid degradation rate, rapid dissolution in physiological environments, and high biocompatibility
Summary
In cases where immediate transport to a burn center is not possible, or for burns resulting from military conflict, survival rates drop as low as 80% [3,4]. In these situations, the removal of necrotic tissue and access to IV fluid resuscitation may be delayed for more than 72 h, which increases the chances of sepsis, burn shock, multiple organ failure, and mortality [5]. To combat the aforementioned issues and minimize the burn morbidities associated with prolonged field care scenarios, novel wound dressings are needed to help extend the time needed for patients to receive specialized care
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