Gentian Violet and Methylene Blue Polyvinyl Alcohol Foam Antibacterial Dressing as a Viable Form of Autolytic Debridement in the Wound Bed.

The objective of this article is to describe the results of a comparative porcine study that evaluated the effectiveness of a gentian violet and methylene blue (GV/MB) polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) antibacterial foam dressing in debriding eschar. The authors performed an in vivo, preclinical study on eschar-covered porcine wounds. Two clinical case studies are also included. Test products, GV/MB antibacterial foam dressing, collagenase ointment, collagenase ointment plus GV/MB antibacterial foam dressing, medical-grade honey, and moist gauze dressing (control), were applied to porcine wounds using a split-back study design. The percent of eschar removal and wound closure were measured and recorded at time points up to 14 days. Statistically significant reduction in eschar was observed with GV/MB dressing and with GV/MB dressing with collagenase. By day 14, the wounds with GV/MB dressing alone and GV/MB dressing with collagenase had eschar covering less than 25% of the wound bed area compared with collagenase alone, medical grade honey, or moist gauze control, which showed eschar still covering over 75% of the wound bed area. Autolytic debridement activity of GV/MB foam dressings was evident in the porcine eschar study, as well as in the cases described.