29 November 2016
Clinical trial of infection detecting bandages begins
- Bandage changes colour when it detects infection of
burns wounds
- Robust tests using samples from hundreds of patients
will establish its efficacy
- The technology could improve treatment for patients,
reduce unnecessary use of antibiotics and save the NHS
money
A clinical trial of a smart bandage which changes colour when it
detects infections is beginning using samples from burns patients
from four UK hospitals.
The technology, developed at the University of Bath, has
potential to detect infection earlier, allowing improved treatment
for burns patients as well as reducing the use of antibiotics,
helping combat the threat of drug-resistant bacteria.
The trial, at Southmead Hospital Bristol, Bristol Royal Hospital
for Children, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and Queen Victoria
Hospital East Grinstead will see swabs and used dressings taken
from hundreds of patients to be used in laboratory tests at the
University of Bath.
These double-blind tests will establish statistically how
sensitive the bandages are to infections, and how specifically they
react to infections they are designed to detect. The samples will
also undergo tests by scientists at the University of Brighton
seeking genomic data from infection-causing bacteria which will
help improve the bandages' performance further.
The nature of burns wounds unfortunately means signs and
symptoms of infections are common but true infection is rare. A
colour-changing bandage will provide an early-warning that
infection is developing, allowing better and timelier treatment for
patients. It will also prevent unnecessary tests in patients who do
not have infection. Existing diagnosis methods take up to 48 hours
and require removing wound dressings, a painful and distressing
process for the patient which can slow healing and cause
scarring.
Currently in cases of suspected infection precautionary courses
of antibiotics are often prescribed. The colour-changing bandage
would reduce this need, helping tackle the global problem of
bacteria developing antibiotic resistance and saving the NHS money
on drugs.
Professor Toby Jenkins, who is leading the study, said: "We
believe our bandages have great potential to improve outcomes for
patients, reduce unnecessary use of antibiotics and save the NHS
money.
"These trials are an exciting and essential step towards getting
the bandages into hospitals to help treat people, allowing us to
find out exactly how well they work using real samples from
patients. We hope as many people as possible agree to take part in
the trial, which is completely non-invasive."
Dr Amber Young, consultant paediatric
anaesthetist at Bristol Royal Hospital for Children's hospital and
the lead clinician on the trial, said: "Using patients' samples to
test the dressing's ability to detect infection will take us
closer to the use of the dressing in patients.
"Diagnosing wound infection at the bedside in patients with
burns will allow targeted treatment of those with true
infection; allowing earlier healing and reduced scarring as well as
preventing overuse of antibiotics and unnecessary dressing removal
in those patients with no infection. This will benefit both
patients and the NHS."
If the trials demonstrate that the bandages are effective then
manufacturing could begin as early as next year.
The trial has been funded by the Medical Research Council
(MRC).
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