Burn victims are particularly susceptible to infections due to the compromised protective function of their damaged skin barrier. Burn surgery's principal objectives are the removal of necrotic tissue and the expeditious coverage of wounds. Regrettably, achieving these aims is more challenging than articulating them. A shortage of operating theatre availability and logistical hurdles can impede source control and surgical debridement.
Failure to attain source control can precipitate wound infections, which, in turn, can escalate into systemic infections, organ failures, and, ultimately, fatalities. This peril is exacerbated by the potential transmission of pathogens from one patient to another, culminating in infection outbreaks within the burn centre.
The Western Cape Provincial Adult Tertiary Burn Centre (WCPATBC) confronted a protracted outbreak of multi-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) infections from 2016 to 2019. Despite rigorous infection prevention measures and wound care protocols, eradicating the outbreak remained an arduous challenge. The outbreak was quelled through the incorporation of Ultrapure® Noxmaria® Wound & Burn Care (comprising of pure hypochlorous acid) as a supplementary component of standard wound cleansing procedures.
While one conjecture posits that the MRSA outbreak naturally abated and that Ultrapure® Noxmaria® Wound & Burn Care (pure Hypochlorous acid) played no pivotal role, the absence of a formal study capturing patient data and outcomes necessitated an assessment of the efficacy of this solution. The aim of the present study was to appraise the effectiveness of Ultrapure® Noxmaria® Wound & Burn Care in the prevention of infections and the treatment of burn wounds by prospectively collecting data to bolster the reliability of our result analysis.
Summary of results
The study involved 33 patients.
Patient ages ranged from 21 to 46 years.
The average total body surface area burned was 22%, with a range of 8% to 45%.
Flame burns were the most common cause of injury, followed by hot fluids, chemical, and electrical burns.
Treatment sites included thighs, abdomens, legs and feet, arms and hands, breasts, back, and buttocks.
Three patients had slough on their wounds before treatment, and none reported treatment-related pain.
Demographic information is presented in Figure 1.
Wound assessment findings
No biofilms were observed with the use of Ultrapure® Noxmaria® Wound & Burn Care (pure hypochlorous acid).
Exudate was well absorbed, with minimal macroscopic moistness.
Epithelialisation was good in visible areas, and no slough was observed post-treatment.
No infections were detected.
Wounds appeared clear and pink.
The product demonstrated effective healing across various treatment sites.
Discussion
Data from this case-cohort study indicates that Ultrapure® Noxmaria Wound & Burn Care solution (pure Hypochlorous acid) promotes effective wound healing, notably by reducing wound infections. These findings underscore its value as an adjunct in burn wound care, with the consistent reduction in infections carrying clinical significance for managing burn wounds.
Numerous Hypochlorous acid-based products are available, but based on clinical experience at WCPTABC, where Ultrapure® Noxmaria® Wound & Burn Care successfully addressed a prolonged MRSA outbreak over three years, and the congruence of results with this study, Ultrapure® Noxmaria® Wound & Burn Care solution (pure Hypochlorous acid) emerges as an effective antimicrobial wound irrigation product, well-suited for its intended purpose.
