Reduce the risk of Superficial and Deep Wound Infections

Platelet gel therapy reduces the risk of wound infection.

When subcutaneous structures are exposed to the environment, infection may occur. Wound infection impairs healing and delays recovery. Wound infection results in extra discomfort to the patient and needs additional treatment thus increasing the treatment-related cost. The risk of developing wound infection is variable. Diabetes, elder age, hypomotility, immune deficiency, bad general conditions, major surgery, hypoalimentation, bad hygienic environment, inappropriate wound dressing or management are some conditions that increase the risk of wound infection. Recent observations provide increasing evidence that platelet gel therapy reduces the risk of both superficial and deep wound infection.

Recently has been reported that diabetic foot treated with conventional therapy had 43% recovery rate while treating with the platelet gel resulted in 68% recovery rate and strongly reduction of wound infection. Strong reduction of superficial wound infection was also reported in a large series of patients with ulcers that have had successful treated with the platelet gel therapy as an outpatient, with no rate of further infection, need for antibiotic or other therapy, and no re-admission back to hospital (James Cook University Hospital).

In a large retrospective study of more than one thousand cardiac surgery patients, the authors found that platelet gel therapy reduced the risk of chest infection by 93%. The risk of superficial wound infection and that of deep wound infection were both reduced. In another study after cardiac surgery, a six-fold reduction of superficial wound infection was found after prophylactic treatment of the sternal wound with platelet gel, while the risk of deep sternal wound infection was reduced from 1.5% to 0.0% (no infection at all).

Wound infection can be a overhelming complication after cardiac surgery with increased mortality and costs and with worsening of the patient quality of life by far. The antimicrobial action of the platelet gel is a candidate means to reduce the risk of either superficial and deep wound infection after cardiac surgery. This antimicrobial effect may be either direct (bactericidal molecules released) or indirect (chemoattraction of immune cells).

In orthopaedic surgery platelet gel therapy is being increasingly used for the treatment of the complications of bone healing, such as infection and nonunion, In arthroplasty peri-operatively applied platelet gel may reduce the incidence of infection. In cosmetic surgery the advantages of using platelet gel are accelerated healing, less bleeding and bruising, less pain, lower risk of superficial infection, less exudative oozing.