Cotton candy-like fibers may help tough wounds heal quick

Non-healing venous stasis wounds present a major caregiving challenge in many facilities. But a treatment approach based on packing the wounds with cotton candy-like fibers showed stunning results, according to a recent study.

The investigation was launched last fall at the Phelps County Regional Medical Center in Rolla, MO.

“All of the participants had diabetes and several of them had wounds that had been unhealed for more than a year,” says Peggy Taylor, a registered nurse who administered the care. “One patient had the same wound for three years.”

All of the participants suffered from problems associated with venous stasis, a condition where blood circulation in extremities is poor. As the blood pools, typically in lower legs, fluids accumulate causing unusual pressure on skin tissues. Sores and wounds can then develop when the fluid “weeps” from skin cracks, cuts or abrasions.

Taylor says the glass fibers seem to offer another unexpected benefit: low scarring.

“All but one of the patients in the trial were elderly and had a lot of skin discoloration, but we healed wounds that show nothing or negligible scarring,” she says. Full details were published in the May issue of the American Ceramic Society’s Bulletin magazine.

Mo-Sci Corporation provided Taylor with individual foil-sealed packets containing the glass fibers. Mo-Sci is known for developing glass-based products for medical purposes.