Wound treatment

Abstract

Use of a moulding composition comprising a polymer and a setting agent for wound debridement, wherein said use comprises adding water to said moulding composition to form a moulding fluid, applying said moulding fluid to a surface of a wound, allowing said moulding fluid to set in contact with said surface to form a solid covering on said surface, followed by removing said solid covering from the wound. The alginate composition adheres strongly to bacterial biofilms on the wound, whereby the biofilms are removed with the alginate composition. The moulding composition may be used in conjunction with a staining agent that undergoes a colour change in the presence of bacteria or bacterial polysaccharides to show the presence and removal of the biofilm. Also provided are methods of treating wounds using the compositions.

1 - 14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . A kit comprising a moulding composition and instructions for performing a method for treating a wound; wherein the moulding composition comprises a water soluble polymer and a setting agent, the polymer comprises at least one polyanionic polysaccharide, and the setting agent comprises a divalent metal salt; and wherein the instructions comprise
 adding water to the moulding composition to form a moulding fluid, wherein the polymer and the setting agent are solids, and the moulding fluid comprises a solids to water ratio by weight of between 1:1 and 3:1;   applying the moulding fluid to a surface of the wound;   allowing the moulding fluid to set in contact with the surface to form a solid covering; and   removing the solid covering from the wound to debride the wound, wherein the removing is performed not more than six hours after the applying.   
     
     
         16 . The kit of  claim 15 , wherein the kit further comprises a staining agent packaged separately from the water soluble polymer and the setting agent, wherein the staining agent is adapted to undergo a colour change in the presence of bacteria or bacterial polysaccharides. 
     
     
         17 . The kit of  claim 16 , wherein the staining agent comprises a copper phthalocyanine dye. 
     
     
         18 . The kit of  claim 16 , wherein the instructions further comprise applying to the wound the staining agent prior to applying the moulding fluid. 
     
     
         19 . The kit of  claim 15 , wherein the water soluble polymer comprises at least on of an alginates, an agar, a guar gum, a hyaluronate, a pectin, a carrageenan, a xanthan gum, a sulfate dextran, and a cellulose derivative. 
     
     
         20 . The kit of  claim 15 , wherein the water soluble polymer comprises at least one of sodium alginate, guar gum, and xantham gum. 
     
     
         21 . The kit of  claim 15 , wherein the setting agent comprises at least one of a calcium salt, a borate salt, and a water soluble galactomannan gum. 
     
     
         22 . The kit of  claim 15 , wherein the moulding composition further comprises an antimicrobial salt. 
     
     
         23 . The kit of  claim 22 , wherein the antimicrobial salt comprises at least one of a silver salt and a zinc salt. 
     
     
         24 . The kit of  claim 15 , wherein the setting agent comprises a calcium salt. 
     
     
         25 . The kit of  claim 24 , wherein the calcium salt comprises at least one of calcium sulphate and calcium silicate. 
     
     
         26 . The kit of  claim 24 , wherein the moulding composition further comprises a retarder adapted to react with said calcium salt to retard the release of calcium. 
     
     
         27 . The kit of  claim 26 , wherein the retarder comprises trisodium phosphate. 
     
     
         28 . The kit of  claim 15 , wherein the moulding composition further comprises a filler in an amount of from about 10% to about 70% dry weight basis. 
     
     
         29 . The kit of  claim 15 , wherein the water soluble polymer and the setting agent are in the form of particulate solids in admixture. 
     
     
         30 . The kit of  claim 15 , wherein the moulding composition comprises from about 12% to about 30% dry weight basis of the polymer and from about 12% to about 40% dry weight basis of the setting agent. 
     
     
         31 . A kit comprising a moulding composition and instructions for performing a method for treating a wound; wherein the moulding composition comprises a water soluble polymer and a setting agent, the polymer comprises at least one sodium alginate, guar gum, and xantham gum, and the setting agent comprises at least one of a calcium salt, a borate salt, and a water soluble galactomannan gum; and wherein the instructions comprise
 adding water to the moulding composition to form a moulding fluid, wherein the polymer and the setting agent are solids, and the moulding fluid comprises a solids to water ratio by weight of between 1:1 and 3:1;   applying the moulding fluid to a surface of the wound;   allowing the moulding fluid to set in contact with the surface to form a solid covering; and   removing the solid covering from the wound to debride the wound, wherein the removing is performed not more than six hours after the applying.   
     
     
         32 . The kit of  claim 31 , wherein the water soluble polymer comprises sodium alginate and the setting agent comprises calcium sulphate. 
     
     
         33 . The kit of  claim 32 , wherein the moulding composition further comprises a retarder adapted to react with said calcium salt to retard the release of calcium. 
     
     
         34 . The kit of  claim 33 , wherein the retarder comprises trisodium phosphate. 
     
     
         35 . The kit of  claim 31 , wherein the kit further comprises a staining agent packaged separately from the water soluble polymer and the setting agent, wherein the staining agent is adapted to undergo a colour change in the presence of bacteria or bacterial polysaccharides.