DEVELOPMENT AND PHYSICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF TOPICAL WOUND DRESSING FORMULATIONS FOR SPLIT-THICKNESS SKIN GRAFT DONOR SITES

Abstract

Skin transplant patients require wound treatment for both graft and donor sites, including managing pain, preventing infection, and ensuring proper healing. This project aims to develop a topical wound dressing formulation for skin graft donor sites in the form of a hydrocolloid film to solve the problems related to the leakage of drug solutions during patient treatment. The hydrocolloid film used low methoxyl pectin (LMP), sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (SCMC), and gelatin in a specific ratio using the casting technique. The formulation was compared with and without glutaraldehyde (Glu) as a cross-linking agent and a drug cocktail that includes bupivacaine, adrenaline, and tranexamic acid, which has bleeding control, and local anesthetic properties, was added. The chemical and physical properties of the developed hydrocolloid films were evaluated across various parameters. The results showed that all hydrocolloid films have flexibility and translucency, with thickness ranging from 0.28±0.05 to 0.38±0.05 mm. The pH values were in the appropriate range for the skin. The fluid uptake capacity ranged from 42.56±8.72 to 64.79±24.44%, and the water vapor transmission rates were between 2112±71.17 and 2284±204.13 g/m²/day. Incorporating glutaraldehyde resulted in a darker yellow color of the film and required greater force to rupture compared to formulations lacking glutaraldehyde. Furthermore, infusing the drug into the hydrocolloid film lowered the pH values and the film's integrity and led to a shorter dissolution time, possibly due to increased moisture absorption. In summary, the hydrocolloid film formulations with and without glutaraldehyde exhibit suitable physical properties as topical wound dressings for skin grafts. The choice of formulation can depend on the desired duration of use. However, further safety testing on patients is recommended before clinical application.