title: Chitosan membrane as a wound-healing dressing: characterization and clinical application.
abstract: Chitosan prepared from natural biopolymer chitin and cast into membranes has been tested as wound dressing at the skin-graft donor site in patients. Bactigras, a commonly used impregnated tulle gras bandage, served as a control. Chitosan membrane, prepared with a 75% degree of deacetylation and a thickness of 10 microm, was used in nonmesh or mesh form. The progress in wound healing was compared by clinical and histological examination. Itching and pain sensitivity of the wound dressed area was scored with the use of a visual analogue scale. Mesh chitosan membrane in contrast to the nonmesh membrane allowed blood to ooze into the surrounding gauze. After 10 days, the chitosan-dressed area had been healed more promptly as compared with the Bactigras dressed area. Moreover, the chitosan mesh membrane showed a positive effect on the re-epithelialization and the regeneration of the granular layer. The data confirm that chitosan mesh membrane is a potential substitute for human wound dressing.
authors.affiliation: Bioprocess Technology Program, Asian Institute of Technology, P.O. Box 4, Klongluang, Pathumthani-12120, Thailand.
authors.forename: Abul Kalam
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Azad
authors.forename: Niwet
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sermsintham
authors.forename: Suwalee
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chandrkrachang
authors.forename: Willem Frans
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Stevens
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D002686:Chitin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D048271:Chitosan; D033364:Decapoda; D006801:Humans; D008422:Materials Testing; D015394:Molecular Structure; D009779:Occlusive Dressings; D010146:Pain; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011537:Pruritus; D011897:Random Allocation; D012038:Regeneration; D012867:Skin / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D014945:Wound Healing
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D002686:Chitin; D048271:Chitosan