Acute Infected Cavity Wounds treated with New Reinforced Rope Dressing

PROBLEM/GOAL: Choosing the proper dressing for painful acute infected wounds can be very challenging. Severe pain and tenderness, a small opening and a large, infected, poorly drained, undermined cavity are common problems in such wounds. RATIONALE/MATERIALS: The new mesh reinforced, silver polymeric membrane* rope cavity filler is non-adherent and reduces pain, kills bacteria and cleanses continuously. Due to its supporting mesh and small diameter, this new rope cavity filler can be easily introduced into a narrow opening, even by family members. METHODOLOGY: Three patients were treated. The first patient suffered two weeks with an infected upper back sebaceous cyst, which spontaneously erupted. The resultant macerated wound was 1cmx1cm with 4cm undermining. The second patient's 1cmx1cmx3cm with 3cm circumferential undermining infected sebaceous cyst was I&D'd in the office. The third patient had I&D of acute pilonidal sinus abscess with 1X1 cm opening and 4 cm deep cavity. In all cases, an initial saline flush removed the pus, oral antibiotics were prescribed, silver polymeric membrane rope cavity filler was inserted and family did dressing changes after the patients' daily showers, without additional wound cleansing. RESULTS: At one week, all patients experienced pain decreases from initially 6-10 on a 10 point scale to 1-3 on a 10 point scale. Infection and periwound maceration resolved, and undermining decreased to 1cm. At two weeks, the pain-free wounds were 0.5cm deep. Complete closure occurred within one month. CONCLUSION: A user-friendly effective way to support healing in deeply undermined acute infected wounds has long eluded wound specialists. The new silver polymeric membrane rope cavity filler addressed all of the problems of these wounds in these challenging example cases.