2 HYDROCOLLOID DRESSINGS EVALUATED IN EXPERIMENTAL FULL-THICKNESS WOUNDS IN THE SKIN

Hydrocolloid occlusive dressings are beneficial in wound management in many respects, although the adhesive matrix may disintegrate when in contact with mounds, The purpose of this study was to determine: (1) i f material from two hydrocolloid dressings - Comfeel and Duoderm - sho wing differences in adhesive cohesion, can be chemically identified in granulation tissue; and (2) if the presence of this material influenc es cutaneous sound healing, In full-thickness skin wounds in rats, com ponents from the two hydrocolloid dressings were phagocytosed as indic ated by the presence of foam cells, Extracellular vacuoles (100-400 mu m in size) occupied about 25% of the granulation tissue volume in the Duoderm group but less than 5% in the Comfeel group, a statistically significant difference (p<0.001), The vacuoles contained hydrophobic p olymers derived from the respective hydrocolloid dressing, as analyzed by Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) microscopy, Wound contraction d id not differ significantly between the two hydrocolloid dressings, Wo unds treated with Comfeel were significantly (p<0.05) more epitheliali zed (mean: 78%) than those treated with Duoderm (mean: 41%), The proli ferative activity in wound epithelium, as measured immunohistochemical ly by bromodeoxyuridine incorporation, was similar for the two treatme nt groups, indicating that epithelial migration was impaired in Duoder m-treated wounds, In summary, extensive incorporation of hydrophobic d ressing material from hydrocolloid dressings may render the wound bed less suitable for epithelial migration during acute secondary wound he aling.