Wounds Swabs to manage chronic wounds
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Clinical Effectiveness of Testing Chronic Wounds for BPA (bacterial protease activity) using WOUNDCHEK™ Bacterial Status & EPA (elevated host protease activity) using WOUNDCHEK™ Protease Status in chronic wounds: A Prospective Randomised Clinical trial
IRAS ID
226102
Contact name
Ash Mosahebi
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University College London
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Chronic wounds cause a significant burden to the health economic burden to the NHS. Patients quality life is often affected due to the physical discomfort and emotional effects. In chronic wounds it is sometimes hard to determine when bacterial bioburden is affected healing and requires intervention.
Bacterial protease are virulent factors that allow detection of bacteria in wounds behaving in a pathogenic mode often before an overt infection is apparent from clinical signs and symptoms. WOUNDCHEK™ Bacterial Status provides a qualitative assessment of bacterial protease activity directly from a wound swab and detection may allow for earlier intervention to prevent a wound progressing to a more elevated infection status.
This study aims to determine whether the use of WOUNDCHEK™ Bacterial Status and/or WOUNDCHEK™ Protease Status in patients with chronic wounds and will inform future management and thus improve healing rates. We will compare monitoring chronic wounds at Watford Hospital with standard care against diagnostic testing for bacterial status and protease status in a randomised clinical trial.
REC name
London - Brent Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
18/LO/0585
Date of REC Opinion
3 May 2018
REC opinion
Unfavourable Opinion