Open AccessTopical radiant heating in wound healing: an experimental study in a donor site wound model *
Author(s) -
Khan Aadil A,
Banwell Paul E,
Bakker Martijn C,
Gillespie Patrick G,
McGrouther Douglas A,
Roberts Anthony HN
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
international wound journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.867
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1742-481X
pISSN - 1742-4801
DOI - 10.1111/j.1742-4801.2004.00065.x
Subject(s) - medicine , wound healing , extravasation , surgery , radiant heating , blood flow , pathology , materials science , composite material
The importance of temperature in the wound‐healing process is rapidly being recognised as a novel way in which to manipulate the wound‐healing environment. In this study, we aimed to investigate the direct effect of topical radiant heating (TRH), using a novel bandaging system (Warm‐Up™, Arizant Healthcare Inc., Eden Prairie MN, USA; Augustine Medical, USA), on wound healing at a physiological and cellular level. Experimental bandages were positioned over split‐thickness skin graft donor site wounds of 12 patients undergoing graft harvesting from the anterior thigh. The experimental group (n = 6) underwent intermittent heating for 5 hours (three 1‐hour heating cycles at 38°C, separated by two 1‐hour rest periods), whilst the control group (n = 6) received no radiant heating. Physiological blood‐flow recordings both in the control group and the topical radiant heat cohort were undertaken using Laser Doppler Imaging (LDI). Skin biopsies were obtained at identical time points, and immunohistochemical analysis was undertaken using antibodies against neutrophils (NP57), lymphocytes (CD3) and macrophages (CD68). We found that TRH significantly increased local dermal blood flow (P < 0·001) by up to 100% in both injured and intact skin. Furthermore, this increase in flow was associated with a significant (P < 0·05) increase in CD3 immunoreactivity on day 1 postoperatively. This study demonstrates that TRH increases local blood flow and lymphocyte (CD3) extravasation, and we postulate that these changes may enhance local innate immunity within the healing wound environment.