(505a) Development of Safety and Efficacy Models to Support Consumer-Focused Claims for Novel First-Aid Materials

The goal of consumer first aid treatment is to prevent infection from external contaminants; however, little work has been done to understand the impact of the products and processes commonly used by non-medical professionals on wound healing outcomes. To evaluate safety and efficacy of novel materials for a new first-aid dressing, a porcine partial thickness dermatome wound model was developed to evaluate both healing progression and cosmetic outcomes for simulated abrasion wounds. Time course healing progression was assessed by wound-size reduction measurement and degree of re-epithelialization using histological analysis. Quantification of the cosmetic appearance of wounds was also evaluated for potential consumer-friendly claims. Cosmetic appearance of the wound was defined as size, thickness and persistence of serocellular crust (SCC) or scabbing. Quantification of appearance was enabled by both pixel color analysis and optical coherence tomography measurements. The results illustrate the influence that the properties of bandage materials can have on rate of re-epithelialization and cosmetic appearance of superficial wounds. Specifically, the moisture-vapor transmission rate (MVTR) of a dressing and the presence of highly wicking, absorptive pads were both found to be important and independent factors that influence the rate of re-epithelialization and wound cosmetic appearance. Minor wounds covered with highly breathable (MVTR > 9000 g/m²/24hr) adhesive-pad bandages showed significantly slower rates of re-epithelialization compared to wounds covered with semi-occlusive (MVTR < 1000 g/m²/24hr) materials. The application of highly breathable bandages also resulted in substantially more accumulation and persistence of SCC over wounds. Wounds covered with semi-occlusive materials, both with and without absorptive pads, had minimal SCC accumulation; however, only pad-free dressings resulted in faster re-epithelialization, characteristically associated with clinically optimal moist wound healing practices. This model was also used to evaluate the impact of the use of first-aid antimicrobials together with various wound dressings. The insights from this work provide direction for both selection of appropriate first aid products and practices for treating minor injuries, as well as guide design of better products for non-professional first aid use that are aligned with evidence based professional practices.

3M’s animal research program complies with the Animal Welfare Act and follows recommendations in the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. All studies are reviewed and approved by 3M’s Institutional Animal Care and use Committee.