Biofilm

by the WoundSource Editors

Have you ever had plaque buildup on your teeth, seen a thin clear film on the top of your pet's water bowl, or stepped into a locker room shower where the floor felt slick and slimy? If so, then did you realize these were all forms of biofilm? Biofilm is a complex microbial community containing self- and surface-attached microorganisms that are embedded in an extracellular polymeric substance, or EPS.^1,2 The EPS is the slimy substance in the previous examples and is primarily a polysaccharide protective matrix synthesized and secreted by the microorganisms that attaches the biofilm firmly to a living or non-living surface. This film protects the organisms from destruction first by being tenacious and keeping the microbial community strongly attached to a surface.

by the WoundSource Editors

Identifying and managing biofilms have become two of the most important aspects of wound care. Biofilms can have a significant impact on wound healing, by contributing to bacterial infection, inflammation, and delayed wound healing.¹ These issues make reducing biofilm presence a critical component of effective wound care. Although over 60% of chronic wounds contain a biofilm, many health care professionals are not able to identify biofilm formation in their patients.² To manage this challenge effectively, health care professionals must understand what biofilms are, how to identify them, and how to take steps to reduce their impact on wound healing.

by the WoundSource Editors

Biofilm is a complex microbial community containing self- and surface-attached microorganisms that are embedded in an extracellular polymeric substance.^1,2 The extracellular polymeric substance is a primarily polysaccharide protective matrix synthesized and secreted by the microorganisms that attaches the biofilm firmly to a living or non-living surface. This protective covering does not allow the body's immune system to recognize the presence of the microorganism; therefore, the bacteria evade an immune response, avoid detection by standard diagnostic techniques, and avoid destruction by standard treatments.³ Because of the tenacity of the attached biofilm, the microoganisms are able to resist physical forces, such shear, and are able to withstand nutrient and moisture deprivation, altered pH, and the impact of antibiotics and antiseptics. For the purposes of this discussion we break down the formation and actions of biofilms and discuss their impact on wound healing.

By Matthew Regulski, DPM

One of the most difficult challenges in wound care today is deciding exactly which treatments to use. Due to the high inaccuracy of wound evaluation techniques, specifically ruler measurements, it is extremely difficult to quantify changes in a wound's progress. In addition to the lack of an accurate and objective quality metric for evaluating wounds, modern electronic health records are simply not built to handle analysis of data. A tremendous amount of manual labor is required to sift through a month's worth of data (or usually much, much more!) and put it into a format that can be easily analyzed. These are issues that I have encountered consistently in my nearly 13 years of practicing podiatry.

By Jeffrey M. Levine MD, AGSF, CWS-P

You are looking at an amazing image of a dime-sized biofilm of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, grown and photographed by Scott Chimileski – a biologist, photographer, and writer at the Kolter Lab at Harvard Medical School.

By Cheryl Carver, LPN, WCC, CWCA, FACCWS, DAPWCA, CLTC

The growing market for bioactive wound care products has been very interesting and exciting to me. I have been involved the past couple years as an anonymous wound panel expert, council member, and consultant for upcoming bioactive wound care dressing research. We will start seeing an increase in various biomaterials, versus gauze and superabsorbent dressing types used globally. Multifunctional-type dressings will also make waves.

By the WoundSource Editors

Columbus, OH – January 13, 2016 – Details regarding a breakthrough medical discovery with tremendous potential for treatment of patients with serious bacterial infections were presented on January 12th, 2016 to pharmaceutical leaders and public and private investors attending the Medtech Showcase in San Francisco.

By Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine Journal Review Club

Editor's note: This post is part of the Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine (TUSPM) journal review club blog series. In each blog post, a TUSPM student will review a journal article relevant to wound management and related topics and provide their evaluation of the clinical research therein.

By Cheryl Carver, LPN, WCC, CWCA, FACCWS, DAPWCA, CLTC

One of my favorite topics to discuss in wound care is biofilms. When I conduct wound care in-services or trainings, I always ask the audience, "Who wants to tell me what a biofilm is?" There is silence. From that point, I proceed to tell my little story about biofilms. It sounds a little like this...You know when we go to bed at night, get up in the morning and feel that sticky film on our teeth? We brush our teeth with a minty-fresh toothpaste. Now our teeth feel clean. By the next morning, that sticky, fuzzy feeling returns, right? Or, when your pet's water dish develops that slimy swamp layer and then you change it? Well that, my folks, is a biofilm!