Authors (including presenting author) :
Chan WH(1)(2), Leung CK(1)(2)
Affiliation :
(1) Department of Surgery, Yan Chai Hospital (2) Stoma and Wound Care Clinic, Yan Chai Hospital
Keyword 1: :
Hydro-debridement
Keyword 3: :
Chronic venous ulcer
Introduction :
Chronic Venous Leg Ulcers (VLUs) are considered to constitute a constant challenge for health professionals. Conventional debridement methods, such as Conservative sharp debridement (CSWD) usually required to remove necrotic tissue and biofilm to lower the bacterial load. It required a high level of meticulous skills from wound specialists whom may not always available in general clinical setting. Hydro-debridement systems offer an alternative, innovative and safe approach to providing selective hydro-mechanical debridement to chronic non-healing wounds which can be performed by trained General nurse.
Objectives :
To evaluate the feasibility of Hydro-debridement systems compared to CSWD, focusing on procedural efficiency, patient pain, and the objective reduction of bacterial bioburden in the wound.
Methodology :
A prospective case series was conducted on 4 patients (n=4) with chronic VLUs (mean size >5 cm2). Comparison was made between CSWD (n=2) and Hydro-debridement (n=2). Outcomes included: 1.Patient Comfort: Visual Analog Scale (VAS 0–10). 2.Procedural Efficiency: Total debridement duration. 3.Bioburden Analysis: Pre- and post-procedural fluorescence imaging (MolecuLight) to detect bacterial signals in the wound
Result & Outcome :
Results: • Patient Comfort and Procedural Efficiency: Hydro-debridement demonstrated a 57% reduction in pain (Mean VAS 3 vs. 7) and was 40% faster (15 min vs. 25 min). • Bacterial Control: Fluorescence imaging confirmed that Hydro-debridement achieved a clinically relevant reduction in bacterial load. CSWD remains the most effective method for exhaustive removal of deep necrotic tissue. However, hydro-debridement proved clinically effective for removing surface slough and bioburden. Conclusion: Hydro-debridement systems provide an faster, and less painful alternative for CSWD. Most importantly, it democratizes advanced wound care by allowing trained general nursing staff to perform effective debridement in settings where specialists are unavailable, potentially improving the standard of care in general clinical environments.The limitation of this study is the small cohort; however, these compelling preliminary results provide a strong foundation for further research.
