Dr. José Luis Lázaro, clinical director and head of the Diabetic Foot Unit at the Complutense University of Madrid, has led a study that evaluates the efficacy of the Biatain Silicone Ag silver dressing in the healing of patients with diabetic foot ulcers with local infection.
The research, which has been published in the journal International Journal of Lower Extremity Woundshas highlighted that this treatment has been able to reduce bacterial load without the need for antibioticsa particularly relevant finding, given that “The rational use of antibiotics is a global health priority, and chronic ulcers are generators of resistant bacteria”as highlighted by the main author of the study.
This research is the first that has evaluated the microbiological effects of a silver dressing in patients with diabetic foot ulcer. Dr. Lázaro highlights among his main results “the clinical improvement of all patients treated with this dressing based on the percentage of ulcer area reductionthe number of patients who have achieved healing and reduction of the bacterial load”.
This study demonstrates for the first time the efficacy of a silver dressing to reduce the bacterial load and promote healing in patients with diabetic foot ulcers without the need for antibiotics
Specifically, close to 80% of the patients included in the study, who were administered the dressing developed by twice a week, reduced the area of the ulcer by more than 50% after six weeks of treatment, with an average reduction of 70%. In just four weeks, the median lesion reduction was greater than 60%. Four out of ten patients healed completely after treatment. At study entry, the mean wound duration was 22.4 weeks.
Dr. Lázaro also points out that “the use of the dressing was associated with a significant reduction in bacterial load of ulcers, including pathogenic bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus, including those resistant to methicillin, enterobacteria, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and other large negative bacilli, which are the cause of serious infections in these patients”.
None of the patients included in the study received antibiotics in the control period. And this is precisely the greatest relevance of the findings obtained. According to Dr. Lázaro, “This is the first time that a study has shown that the use of an antimicrobial dressing produces a clinical improvement due to the control of the bacterial load of the ulcereven inhibiting the growth of resistant bacteria”. This expert also highlights that this study “demonstrates that patients with diabetic foot ulcers and mild infections can be treated effectively without the need for antibiotic intakethus reducing the development of bacterial resistance”.
This point is especially relevant, given that the World Health Organization (WHO) considers this problem to be one of the greatest threats to global health, food security and development. According to an estimate by the United Nations, the antibiotic resistant infections could cause and these resistances can affect anyone, whatever their age or the country in which they live.
According to Dr. Lazarus, “The main advantage of this treatment is the improvement of the ulcer, which allows healing in less time and reduces the use of antibiotics”. The expert underlines the improvement compared to other treatments, which “they may not control the bacterial load of the wound”a situation that “chronifies” or even, “It can pose a risk of spreading the infection, which can even cause amputation”. The results of the study, in addition to positive effects on public health, also translate into a “cost savings and increased quality of life of these patients”explains the author.
Between 5 and 10% of diabetic patients can undergo an amputation
A foot injury can become a serious health threat, especially if the sufferer is diabetic patient. Diabetes is one of the most prevalent chronic diseases in all Western countries. In Spain, it is estimated that 13.8% of those over 18 years of age suffer from it. This disease carries the risk of a series of complications, of which the so-called diabetic foot ulcers are the most common. These injuries require hospitalization and are the most common trigger for amputations in the lower extremities.
“Approximately 5 to 10% of these diabetic patients may undergo amputation, and in 85% of cases the amputation is preceded by a foot ulcer, therefore, It is the main risk factor. The sooner they heal and the less complicated the wounds are, the fewer amputations will be caused”says Dr. José Luis Lázaro.
According to OECD data, 54 out of every 100,000 people diagnosed with diabetes suffer an amputation in the lower limbs each year, a rate that is nine times that of the general population (6.7 amputations per 100,000 inhabitants per year).