(CS-141) The Use of Copper Oxide Impregnated Dressings in the Treatment of Hard to Heal Acute and Chronic Wounds

Co-Author(s):

Jessica Baker, RN – staff nurse, wound care, Institute for Advanced Wound Care; lyudmila Nikolaychook, DO – physician, wound care, Institute for Advanced Wound Care; angela Pickens, RN – staff nurse, wound care, Institute for Advanced Wound Care

Introduction:

Wound healing is a complicated process with the wound progressing through precise stages.  These stages can be interrupted with the wound being “stuck” in the inflammatory phase of healing.  Increased wound bioburden is a common cause of this.   Recently a copper oxide impregnated dressing has been found to be very effective in the treatment of hard to heal wounds because of its biocidal activity.  ^1,2,3  Copper oxide, also, stimulates angiogenesis and skin regeneration. ^3,4  Copper is an "essential nutrient" for normal tissue function including the skin and is considered safe for human tissues.  ^1,5,6 

Methods:

In an attempt to determine the usefulness of this new copper oxide impregnated wound dressing, we are treating a series of 25 patients with acute and chronic hard to heal wounds with the dressing.  The wounds being treated include non-healing postoperative wounds, chronic traumatic wounds, venous leg ulcers, and diabetic foot ulcers.  The dressings are applied to the wound surface and are covered with the appropriate secondary dressing depending on the patient’s diagnosis.  The dressings are changed once per week. 

Results:

All patients have had significant improvement in wound healing compared to that achieved with the previous treatments.  No treated wound has developed critical bacterial colonozation or infection during treatment.  The final patient details and healing results will be presented. 

Discussion: Preliminary experience suggests that copper oxide impreganted dressings work well in treating wound bioburden and stimulating healing in hard to heal wounds.

Trademarked Items: MedCu Antibacterial Wound Dressings

References: 1) Borkow G, Okon-Levy N, Gabbay J. Copper Oxide Impregnated Wound Dressings: Biocidal and Safety Studies. Wounds 2010;22(11):301-310
2) Borkow G, Using Copper to Fight Microorganisms. Curr Chem Biol 2012;6(2):93-103
3) Salvo J, Sandoval C. Role of Copper Nanoparticles in Wound Healing for Chronic Wounds: Literature Review. Burns & Trauma 2022, 10, tkab047. https://doi.org/10.1093.burns/tkab047
4) Alizadeh S, Seyedalipour B, Shafieyan S, et. al. Copper Nanoparticles Promote Rapid Wound Healing in Acute Full Thickness Defect Via Acceleration of Skin Cell Migration, Proliferation, and Neovascularization. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2019;517:684-690
5) Uauy R, Olilvares M, Gonzalez M, Essentiality of Copper in Humans. Am J Clin Nutr 1998;67(5 Suppl):952S-959S
6) Polefka TG, Bianchini RJ, Shapiro S. Interaction of Mineral Salts with the Skin: A Literature Survey. Int J Cosmet Sci 2021;34(5):416-423