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Objective: To evaluate the tolerance and healing rate of a collagen regeneration template in covering full-thickness wounds, including rate of adverse events., Method: In this prospective, multicentre study, patients with a full-thickness wound underwent two-stage surgery consisting of implantation of a collagen regeneration template followed by a split-thickness skin graft (STSG). Patients were followed-up for 12 months. Adverse events arising from either the implantation or STSG were evaluated., Results: Of the 33 patients included in the study, 29 completed the full follow-up period. During the study, 13 adverse events occurred at the treated wound site, as reported by 11 patients during follow-up. These included local infection (n=5), a diffuse infection (n=1) and non-infectious seroma under the silicon layer (n=1). The mean percentage of take of the collagen template at 21±7 days after implantation was 81.2% of the treated surface. The mean percentage of take of STSG at 28 days after grafting was 84.4% of grafted surface. STSG was successful in 28 patients, but was completely rejected at 12 months for one patient. Mean functional score at 12 months, as evaluated by the treating surgeons, was 76.8/100 and mean aesthetic score was 62.7/100., Conclusion: This study found use of a collagen regeneration template to be a safe procedure for the coverage of full thickness-wounds.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to compare the use of artificial dermal and perforator flap after radical surgery of severe axillary and perineal hidradenitis suppurativa disease., Patients and Methods: The data on postoperative outcomes, scar assessment (POSAS) and quality of life (DLQI, SF-36) were collected during consultation or by phone call. Forty-seven patients were included in our study between January 2015 and September 2017, including 27 patients in the artificial dermal group and 20 patients in the perforator flap group., Results: The quality of life assessment by the SF-36 questionnaire showed a significant increase in quality of life in both groups (P<0.05), higher in the perforating flap group (P<0.001). The DLQI questionnaire showed a decrease in the impact of MV on quality of life in both groups, which was greater in the perforator flap group (P<0.05). The scarring assessment by the POSAS patient and observer questionnaire showed a better overall opinion in the perforator flap group (P<0.001). In the perforator flap group, the total hospital stay and healing time was shorter (P<0.001) and the return to work was faster (P<0.001)., Conclusion: The artificial dermis and the perforator flaps are very useful coverage solutions after radical surgery of hidradenitis suppurativa. The use of perforator flaps, however, seems more interesting while simplifying the post-operative course., (Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.)

Background: Various international guidelines and recommendations are available for management of diabetic foot infections. We present a review of the guidelines and recommendations for management of these infections. Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted through MEDLINE, CENTRAL, EMBASE, LILACS, DARE, and national health bodies. Based on the review of fifteen documents, we present details on the importance of suspecting and diagnosing skin, superficial infections, and bone infections in diabetics. Results: The guidelines recommend classifying the infections based on severity to guide the treatment. While antibiotics have shown the best results, other treatments like hyperbaric oxygen therapy and negative wound pressure have been debated. It is suggested that a team of specialists should be in-charge of managing the infected wounds. Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) 2012 guidelines are widely followed world-over. All guidelines and reviews have consistent suggestions on the assessment of the severity of infection, diagnosis, start, selection, and duration of antibiotic therapy. Conclusions: It is reasonable to conclude that the IDSA 2012 guidelines are commonly followed across the world. There is a consensus among the Australian guidelines, Canadian guidelines, IDSA 2012, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) 2015, and International Working Group on the Diabetic Foot (IWGDF) 2016 guidelines on the management of infected wounds for patients with diabetes mellitus., Competing Interests: No competing interests were disclosed., (Copyright: © 2019 Tchero H et al.)

Hidradenitis suppurativa is a chronic inflammatory condition that affects skin regions bearing apocrine glands. Although hidradenitis suppurativa is difficult to treat and cure, the currently available treatments are directed toward managing the lesions and associated symptoms. This review presents an evidence-based outline of the available treatment options. We searched four electronic databases and extracted data from retrieved studies for qualitative or quantitative analysis. Meta-analysis was conducted using the comprehensive meta-analysis software to generate pooled standardized mean differences or risk ratios. Numerous medical treatments are available for hidradenitis suppurativa such as antibiotics, retinoids, antiandrogens, immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory agents and radiotherapy for early lesions. Adalimumab, an anti-tumor necrosis factor antibody, was superior to placebo in reducing Sartorius score (standardized mean difference = -0.32, confidence interval [-0.46, -0.18], P < 0.0001) and pain (risk ratio = 1.42, confidence interval [1.07, 1.9], P = 0.02), when given weekly (not every other week). Combination therapies (such as antibiotics and hyperbaric oxygen therapy) have been tested, which have shown promising results that are yet to be confirmed. Based on the quality of evidence, the most recommended treatments for hidradenitis suppurativa include adalimumab and laser therapy. Surgery (either by simple excision or complete local excision followed by skin graft) is the first choice for intractable disease presenting in the late stages. However, the evidence on most of these treatments is deficient and further randomized trials are needed to establish the most efficient therapies for hidradenitis suppurativa management., Competing Interests: None

Diabetic foot infection is a common diabetic complication that may end in lower limb amputation if not treated properly. We performed this systematic review to assess the clinical efficacy of different antibiotic regimens, whether systemic or topical, in the treatment of moderate to severe diabetic foot infections. We searched Medline, Web of Science, SCOPUS, Cochrane CENTRAL, and ScienceDirect for randomized controlled trials that evaluated the efficacy of antibiotic regimens in moderate to severe diabetic foot infections. The primary outcome of interest was the clinical efficacy (cure/improvement rates) of the regimens. We included 16 trials (4,158 patients) in this review, from which we extracted 10 comparisons: some trials compared systemic antibiotics to each other, others compared systemic to topical agents, while one study compared the combined topical and systemic agents to systemic antibiotics alone. Qualitative analysis of the findings of these studies showed that: (1) pipracillin/tazobactam was superior to ertapenem in severe infections (clinical resolution rate: 91.5% compared with PIP/TAZ 97.2%, p ≤ 0.04), but had similar efficacy in moderate infections, (2) ertapenem was more effective than tigecycline in moderate to severe infections (absolute difference -5.5, [95% CI -11.0, 0.1]), (3) the adjuvant use of topical agents with systemic antibiotics improved the outcomes, compared with systemic antibiotics alone (p = 0.024), (4) the rates of recurrence and re-ulceration were significantly lower in patients using the amino-penicillin regimen, compared with those using oral/intravenous ofloxacin, and (5) lower rates of complications accompanied the imipenem/cilastatin regimen, compared with the pipracillin/tazobactam regimen (p = 0.13). In conclusion, data from the included studies showed better results for ertapenem when compared with tigecycline; however, it was inferior to pipracillin/tazobactam in severe infections. The adjuvant use of topical agents improves the efficacy of systemic antibiotics in diabetic foot infection., (© 2018 by the Wound Healing Society.)

Debridement is a crucial component of wound management. Recent technologies such as hydrosurgery (Versajet), ultrasound therapy (the MIST therapy device), or plasma-mediated bipolar radio-frequency ablation therapy (Coblation) seem to represent interesting alternatives for wound debridement. The purpose of this systematic review was to describe, evaluate, and compare these three recently developed methods for the management of chronic wounds. In January 2016, an electronic database search was conducted of MEDLINE, PubMed Central, and Embase for articles concerning these three innovative methods for the management of chronic wounds. A total of 389 references were identified by our search strategy, and 15 articles were included. We extracted data regarding the number and age of patients, indications, operating time, number of procedures, costs, wound healing time, decrease in exudation, perioperative blood loss, bacterial load, and the occurrence of complications. The 15 articles included studies that involved 563 patients who underwent hydrosurgery (7 studies), ultrasound therapy (6 studies), or Coblation (2 studies). Six randomized controlled trials were included that compared the use of a scalpel or curette to hydrosurgery (2 studies) or ultrasound therapy (6 studies). Hydrosurgery, in addition to being a very precise and selective tool, allows significantly faster debridement. Ultrasound therapy provides a significant reduction of exudation, and improves the wound healing time. No comparative study dedicated to Coblation was identified. Despite the obvious clinical interest of the topic, our review of the current literature revealed a lack of prospective randomized studies comparing these devices with each other or with standard techniques, particularly for Coblation and hydrosurgery.

We describe our experience with a novel foam dressing architecture in tandem with negative pressure wound therapy and instillation (NPWTi-d) for removing viscous wound exudate and infectious materials. A retrospective review was conducted of the outcomes of 21 patients who received NPWTi-d using a reticulated open cell foam instillation dressing with through holes (ROCF-CC) designed to facilitate the removal of thick wound exudate and infectious materials. NPWTi-d with ROCF-CC was used to treat large complex chronic wounds with viscous wound exudate that contained substantial areas of devitalised tissue. Debridement was performed as appropriate or available. NPWTi-d with ROCF-CC assisted in loosening, solubilising and detaching viscous exudate, dry fibrin, wet slough and other infectious materials. Percent surface area of black non-viable tissue and yellow fibrinous slough was reduced to ≤ 10% in 18/21 (85·7%) and 12/21 (57·1%) wounds, respectively, after an average of 1-3 applications (3-9 days) of NPWTi-d with ROCF-CC. Preliminary evidence suggests that adjunctive use of NPWTi-d with ROCF-CC may help clean large, complex wounds when complete surgical debridement is not possible or appropriate and/or when areas of slough and non-viable tissue remain present on the wound surface., (© 2017 The Authors. International Wound Journal published by Medicalhelplines.com Inc and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Introduction: Loxosceles spiders are ubiquitous and responsible for many cases of envenomation in the world. The kind rufescens is present in the Provence and Occitan regions in France. During the summer 2015, we faced many Loxosceles rufescens cases of bites having led to extensive integumental necrosis whose features and singular evolution seems important to report., Material and Methods: We report the cases of nine patients who experienced a spider bite in the summer of 2015 in the Languedoc Roussillon., Results: Of nine patients, eight patients had skin necrosis and five required surgical care. Five patients had a fever and had five other general signs such as important asthenia, joint pain, nausea and dizziness. CRP was very low normal in all patients. Finally, five of the nine patients reported a residual pain., Discussion: L. rufescens is a small spider (7 to 15mm in diameter) having a cytotoxic venom. Loxoscelism diagnosis is usually made by removing a front necrotic skin lesion. Of systemic loxoscelism that have been described, some American species had fatal outcomes. The treatment remains controversial with various options: surgery, antibiotics, antihistaminics, antivenom., Conclusion: The diagnosis must be made in endemic areas when confronted to a necrosic integumentary infectious rapidly progressive, unresponsive to antibiotic treatment associated with atypical general signs., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Surgery, normally considered inappropriate for patients receiving palliative care, can nevertheless be an option in the case of infection. Some procedures are carried out in these situations, such as emergency debridement or the amputation of the foot or lower limb. These techniques also aim to improve the comfort of the patient at the end of life. Discussion between the whole multi-disciplinary team ahead of the treatment is in some cases necessary.