Healing Wounds: The Dressing Makes the Deciding Difference

LANGHORNE, Pa., Dec. 6, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Surgical procedures have come a long way, thanks to technological advancements and better-trained surgeons. This means that superior results can be expected even in high-risk surgeries. However, surgery is one thing; healing is another. A gap exists between what is and what could be. For example, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the 2009 rates of death from complications of medical and surgical care per 100,000 population for patients at least 45 years old stood at: 71.3 deaths for adults 85 years and older, 51.4 deaths for those aged 75 to 84 years, 27.9 deaths for adults aged 65 to 74 years, and 8.9 deaths for adults aged 45 to 64 years. Although those numbers have been falling, there is still room for improvement.

A study in the September 2013 issue of Journal of Patient Safety reported that each year preventable adverse events (PAEs) may lead to the death of up to 400,000 patients who seek care at a hospital. What is being done to correct this terrible situation? Well, one remarkable company is making a significant contribution.

Langhorne, PA-based Alliqua Biomedical, Inc., led by CEO David Johnson, is working to help reduce the alarming incidence of hospital-acquired infections—especially the recently prevalent antibiotic-resistant bacterium Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The company is commercializing two proprietary wound dressings: SilverSeal^®, a flexible, sterile, non-adherent hydrogel dressing that incorporates the antimicrobial properties of silver-coated fiber and allows for extended wear time; and Hydress^®, which, although not silver-based, is also a flexible, sterile, hydrogel dressing and remains in place despite also being non-adherent. Alliqua is also the Americas' distributor for products by the German wound care company sorbion, including the sorbion sachet S and sorbion sana gentle wound care dressings.

Unlike some hydrogels, Alliqua's are absorptive. Its dressings are approximately 95 percent water-based, and don't require pre-wetting to become bioactive. They also provide a cooling effect for enhanced patient comfort. Other advantages include easy removal, which is crucial in avoiding additional trauma to the wound bed, and the creation of a moist environment at the wound site, which is ideal for healing.

As Alliqua's CEO David Johnson, explains, "Our proprietary advanced dressings aim to provide the optimal environment for the healing of surgical and other wounds, to better meet the needs of clinicians and patients alike. Although hospitals should be clean and germ-free, the reality is that they are not. We believe that all hospitals should provide not only great surgery, but state-of-the-art aftercare, which includes how the wounds are dressed."

Johnson adds, "Wounds that are dressed correctly are more likely to heal without complications."

For more on this significant advance in wound care, visit www.alliqua.com, who paid for the writing and dissemination of this release.

Contact:  Laura Radocaj, Dian Griesel Int'l., 212.825.3210

SOURCE Alliqua Biomedical, Inc.