Laboratory evaluation of a new hydrogel-type skin substitute.

A new hydrogel-type skin substitute (HSS) has been investigated for its effectiveness in the management of excised wounds in rats and compared with Geliperm and Bioclusive and air-exposed control. Wound repair has been assessed by measuring the wound size and by histological examination. The effectiveness of the skin substitutes on the re-establishment of the cutaneous barrier to evaporative water loss (EWL) has also been examined by an Evaporimeter. When compared with Geliperm and Bioclusive, a faster rate of wound healing with complete epithelialization was observed under HSS. A significant improvement in the rate of restoration of the barrier functions was observed between the HSS-covered wounds and uncovered controls. A biphasic behaviour of EWL, with an initial rise followed by an exponential decline, was observed in uncovered control and wounds covered with Geliperm and HSS. In the case of Bioclusive, the decline in EWL was less pronounced.