Page 2 - OxyBand Research Background

ORIGINAL ARTICLEs

Evaluation of an Oxygen-Diffusion Dressing for
Accelerated Healing of Donor-Site Wounds

Kimberly F. Lairet, MD, David Baer, PhD, Michelle L. Leas, RN,
Evan M. Renz, MD, Leopoldo C. Cancio, MD

Accelerating the healing process and reducing pain during healing are beneficial for the
following reasons: faster return to work, lower risk of wound infection, improved quality
of life, and possibly reduced need for analgesia. This clinical study assessed the effectiveness
of a new oxygen-diffusion dressing (OxyBand; Oxyband Technologies, St. Louis, MO)
compared with standard Xeroform gauze dressings (Convidien, Mansfield, MA), in the care
of skin-graft donor sites in burn patients. Time to healing was the primary endpoint, and
pain scores and cosmetic outcome were also assessed. This was a prospective, randomized,
controlled study of burn patients undergoing harvesting of two donor sites. Patients
were followed at predetermined time points for 30 to 45 days to determine the time
to reepithelialization, cosmetic appearance, and pain. Subjects were adult burn patients
with less than 30% TBSA burns admitted to the burn center, who required excision and
grafting. Twenty patients were enrolled, of whom 17 completed the study. Average age
was 35 years. Average burn size was 9.2% TBSA. Patients underwent harvesting of split-
thickness skin grafts with one donor wound dressed with OxyBand and the other dressed
in Xeroform gauze. Wounds were inspected and photographed on postoperative days 4
and 8, and then every 2 days until the donor wounds were healed. Pain scores at each site
were also collected at these visits (rated by patients on a scale from 0 to 10). Mean time to
J Burn Care Res wound healing for OxyBand was 9.3 ± 1.7 days; for Xeroform, 12.4 ± 2.7 days (P < .001).
Pain scores were lower (P < .01) at the OxyBand site compared with the Xeroform site at
all time points during postoperative days 4 to 12. There was no difference in the cosmetic
outcome of the wounds at 30 to 45 days postoperatively. This study revealed a decrease in
the time to healing and in pain at donor sites dressed with an
oxygen-diffusion dressing. (J Burn Care Res 2014;35:214–218)

Donor sites generated in conjunction with split- treated with a variety of topical agents, such as fine-
thickness skin grafting during burn care have been mesh gauze, scarlet-red gauze, Xeroform gauze,
and other dressings. Slow healing times, cellulitis,
From the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research, Fort Sam and pain are perennial problems in the care of these
Houston, Texas.
Presented at the 45th Annual Meeting of the American Burn wounds. An ideal donor-site dressing would provide
Association, Palm Springs, California, 23–26 April 2013. an optimal environment for reepithelialization while
This study is funded by the Clinical Trials Task Area, U.S. Army minimizing pain, preventing infection, and promot-
Medical Research and Materiel Command, Fort Detrick,
MD. Dressings were donated by OxyBand Technologies, Inc. ing the best cosmetic outcome possible.
(Woodbury, MN) and this study was conducted under a Extensive investigation has been performed on
Cooperative Research and Development Agreement between the effects of oxygen on wound healing. Oxygen has
the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research and OxyBand.
OxyBand received advanced development funding from the U.S. been found to be important in angiogenesis, colla-
Army Medical Materiel Agency, Fort Detrick, MD. gen synthesis, wound contraction, epithelialization,
The opinions or assertions contained herein are the private views of the and prevention of infection, 1–4 all of which are neces-
authors, and are not to be construed as official or as reflecting the
views of the Department of the Army or the Department of Defense. sary for tissue repair and wound healing. Animal and
Address correspondence to Leopoldo C. Cancio, MD, U.S. Army laboratory studies have shown that decreased oxy-
Institute of Surgical Research, 3698 Chambers Pass, Fort Sam gen levels in the wound result in impaired fibroblast
Houston, TX 79234-6315.
Copyright © 2013 by the American Burn Association proliferation and collagen deposition, reduced ten-
1559-047X/2014 sile strength, higher rates of infection, and reduced
DOI: 10.1097/BCR.0b013e31829b3338 mobility of specific cells. 3–5 In a rabbit model,
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