A pilot study of the use of biocide-impregnated gauze as an adjunct to wound care in a burn population

J Burn Care Res. 2012 May-Jun;33(3):358-63. doi: 10.1097/BCR.0b013e31823746d2.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of a polyhexamethylene biguanide biocide-impregnated gauze (Kerlix™ AMD gauze dressing, Covidien d/b/a Tyco Healthcare Group LP) as an adjuvant to routine burn care and its impact on the incidence of hospital-associated infections in burn population. One hundred eight burn patients admitted to the Burn Treatment Center were prospectively enrolled from August 2008 to June 2009 and matched 1:2 with historic controls who were admitted from March 2006 to July 2008. Clinical care remained otherwise unchanged; however, several hospital initiatives (the national surgical improvement project, the surgical care improvement project, and a central venous line bundle) were initiated before and during the study. There were significantly less infections in the study population (18.52% of case patients vs 28.70% of control patients had infections, P = .047). Although there was a decrease in each infection subtype analyzed, a statistically significant reduction was only reached for pneumonias (1.85% in cases vs 5.86 in controls, P = .042). Implementation of polyhexamethylene biguanide biocide-impregnated gauze was temporally correlated with a significant decrease in healthcare-associated infections in burn population. As there was no corresponding decrease in wound infections, the impact of the gauze on healthcare-associated infections, if any, cannot be conclusively determined by this study. A larger prospective study powered to detect a decrease in wound-related infections is warranted.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Bandages*
  • Biguanides / pharmacology*
  • Burn Units
  • Burns / diagnosis
  • Burns / therapy*
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Disinfectants / pharmacology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Injury Severity Score
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Pilot Projects
  • Prospective Studies
  • Reference Values
  • Risk Assessment
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Wound Healing / physiology
  • Wound Infection / prevention & control
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Biguanides
  • Disinfectants