Abstract
ABSTRACT: Epidermolysis bullosa (EB) is a genetic skin disorder characterized by skin fragility resulting in blisters and erosions. Wound care for individuals diagnosed with EB is aimed at wound healing and injury prevention. Although some of these individuals' wounds heal and progress through the phases of healing in a timely manner, others become chronic and remain in a nonhealing state. Those chronic wounds often have multiple bacterial complications including a high bacterial bioburden, infections, multiorganism resistance to antibiotics, and the eventual development of a biofilm covering the wound. It is those chronic wounds that are covered with a biofilm that are the most challenging to heal. Many of the wound products currently available only minimally affect this adherent biofilm; therefore, an alternative method of biofilm reduction was researched. This article discusses a case study of a patient with EB who had a chronic nonhealing wound covered with a thick biofilm. A biocellulose dressing was trialed on this wound to determine its efficacy on biofilm reduction. The results with the use of this product have determined that this is a safe and efficacious way to painlessly reduce biofilm adherence for patients diagnosed with EB.