AROMA

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Development of Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) Analysis as a Potential Diagnostic for Infected and Non-Healing Wounds

• IRAS ID

  302788

• Contact name

  Catherine Green

• Contact email

  catherine.green@wales.nhs.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  Cardiff and Vale University Health Board

• Duration of Study in the UK

  0 years, 11 months, 28 days

• Research summary

  The AROMA study aims to assess the feasibility of detecting volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from pilonidal wound dressings to assemble a VOC profile for the assessment of wound healing trends.
  Non-healing wounds (NHWs) pose a significant burden to the NHS and to affected patients. Difficulties arise in the identification of wounds which are not on a healing trajectory. Early identification allows for proactive management to try and reduce healing time. Recent studies indicate that wound VOCs may have the potential to differentiate between healing and non-healing wounds. This study will use pilonidal abscesses for the analysis of wound VOC profiles using a non-invasive technique. Pilonidal abscesses provide a good wound to study as they are common, and only approximately 60% achieve complete wound healing.
  Patients over the age of 18 who are admitted to hospital with a pilonidal abscess which requires drainage will be eligible for the study. The patient will undergo the standard procedure to drain an abscess, during which time wound swabs will be collected. Additional swabs will be collected for participants in this study, compared to routine care. The wound will be dressed as standard and the same dressing is applied to an area of un-affected skin on the buttock. The dressings are changed the following day, and are handled in such a way that VOC are released and captured from the dressings. These VOC will be sent for analysis using specialist equipment, which will identify VOC profiles that are unique to each sample. Participants will be followed up 30 days later after treatment to assess the wound-healing status, which will in turn be linked back to the VOC profile in order to determine whether associations can be made between the two. The study aims to recruit 12 patients over a 12 month period.
  

• REC name

  London - South East Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  21/PR/1427

• Date of REC Opinion

  21 Oct 2021

• REC opinion

  Favourable Opinion