Real-World Clinical Evaluation of an Enhanced Antimicrobial Dressing as Part of the Wound Treatment Protocol in a Long-Term Acute Care Facility

Introduction: Highsmith-Rainey Specialty Hospital in Fayetteville, North Carolina, is a long-term acute care hospital accredited in wound care by the Joint Commission. As part of their commitment to achieving positive clinical outcomes while providing cost-effective wound care, facility clinicians evaluated a new enhanced antimicrobial dressing (EAD) with a unique formulation containing ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and benzethonium chloride (BeCl) for treatment of chronic wounds. The two additional agents enhance performance of the EAD by providing more rapid and sustained antimicrobial activity within the dressing, as demonstrated in vitro.

Objective: The aim of this case series was to evaluate the efficacy of the EAD in treatment of complex, nonhealing chronic wounds as part of the facility’s wound treatment protocol.

Methods: Facility clinicians selected complex, nonhealing chronic wounds for inclusion in the case series. Wounds were treated per the previous facility protocols, with the addition of the EAD as the primary dressing. Standard secondary dressings were used throughout the study. At each dressing change, the wounds were assessed for size, wound bed tissue composition, and pain level. Wound images were captured after wound cleansing.

Results and Conclusion: Ten chronic wounds were identified for inclusion in the evaluation. Addition of the EAD to the wound treatment protocol resulted in significant improvement in the wounds as evidenced by various assessment factors, including decrease in size, increase in granulation tissue, improvement of periwound skin, and reduction in pain. Clinicians decreased the use of more expensive treatment modalities, such as negative pressure wound therapy, collagen, and cellular and/or tissue-based products when the EAD was added to the treatment protocol. Randomized, controlled trials, or real-world evidence studies in larger patient samples, are required to validate these preliminary findings.