Authors of International Consensus Suggest that Fluorescence Imaging of Bacterial Burden is Positioned to Change Contemporary Paradigms of Post-Surgical Wound Management
Toronto, CANADA and London, UK – (June 1, 2022) MolecuLight Inc., the leader in point-of-care fluorescence imaging for detection and localization of elevated bacterial load in wounds, announced that it has been added to the new 2022 Consensus Guidelines of the International Surgical Wound Complications Advisory Panel (ISWCAP). The document, “Optimising Prevention of Surgical Wound Complications: Detection, Diagnosis, Surveillance and Prediction”1 presents an international consensus recommending approaches for the early detection, diagnosis and prediction of surgical wound complications in order to optimise incisional wound healing outcomes for patients.
Surgical wound complications remain a significant challenge for clinicians around the globe, representing one of the leading global causes of morbidity following surgery. The incidence of surgical wound complications, including surgical site infections (“SSI”), continues to rise. The development of a SSI is associated with a marked increase in morbidity, a 2-to 11-fold increase in mortality rate, and prolonged hospital stays2. Approximately 2-5% of surgical wounds in the US develop a SSI3 – 6 at an annual cost of up to $10 billion6-9. This includes extended hospital stays, readmissions and additional resources to manage complications.
In the consensus guidelines, the ISWCAP expert group noted that “the role of diagnostic technology is of particular importance in identification of surgical wound complications as it provides an objective means of detecting infection or another surgical wound complication without having to rely on clinician judgement – i.e. it helps to remove the subjective ‘human factor’ from identification and diagnosis”10.
MolecuLight’s point-of-care fluorescence imaging system is identified in the consensus because of its proven utility to quickly and non-invasively identify surgical site infections:
The ISWCAP expert group agreed that point-of-care fluorescence imaging is a diagnostic technology that could be of significant benefit in early identification of surgical site infections and may be a useful tool for early detection of other surgical wound complications10
The consensus also notes how fluorescence imaging is being used to guide detection of pathogenic activity and is providing useful insights and potentially changing current clinical assessment and diagnosis paradigms.11 Numerous studies have established the utility of the MolecuLight point-of-care technology in chronic wounds12, 13 (Le et al, 2020; Price, 2020). “The use of this technology in detection of SSI is an emerging field showing promising results”, notes the consensus. An example is “a recent study, ’Uncovering the high prevalence of bacterial burden in surgical site wounds with point-of-care fluorescence imaging’14, illustrated an 11-fold sensitivity in detection of infection by the MolecuLight device compared to clinical signs and symptoms alone (Sandy-Hodgetts et al, 2021)”.11
“Due to its ability to quickly and reliably detect bacterial burden at the point-of-care, fluorescence imaging using the MolecuLight device is positioned to change contemporary paradigms of post-surgical wound management”, says lead author Kylie Sandy-Hodgetts, PhD, Founder and inaugural President of the ISWCAP. “Early detection and prevention of surgical wound complications, including SSIs, are the ISWCAP’s key areas of focus. Novel diagnostic technology for earlier detection and intervention is imperative to optimise surgical wound outcomes. MolecuLight’s point-of-care fluorescence imaging of critical bacterial burden is at the forefront of that much needed initiative.”
References:
1Sandy-Hodgetts K et al, “Optimising prevention of surgical wound complications: Detection, diagnosis and prediction”, Wounds Intl., 2022
2Hatch MD et al. J Shoulder Elbow Surg. 2017;26(3):472-4777 3 Ban KA et al. J Am Coll Surg. 2017;224(1):59-74
4 Berrios-Torres SI et al. JAMA Surg. 2017;152(8):784-791 5 Institute CPS. Canadian Surgical Site Infection Prevention Audit. 2016 6 Si D et al. BMC Infect Dis. 2014;14:318
7 Badia JM, et al. J Hosp Infect. 2017;96(1):1-15
8 McLaws ML et al. J Hosp Infect. 2003;53(4):259-267
9 Sullivan E et al. Surg Infect (Larchmt). 2017;18(4):451-454 10 Sandy-Hodgetts K et al, Wounds International, 2022, pp. 9
11Sandy-Hodgetts K et al, Wounds International, 2022, pp. 16
12 L. Le, Advances in Wound Care, 25 Sep 2020 13N. Price, Diagnostics, 2020
14 Sandy Hodgetts, K. et al., Int Wound J. 2021;1–11.
About MolecuLight Inc.
MolecuLight Inc. is a privately-owned medical imaging company that has developed and is commercializing its proprietary fluorescent imaging platform technology in multiple clinical markets. MolecuLight’s suite of commercially released devices, including the MolecuLight i:X® and DX™ fluorescence imaging systems and their accessories, provide point-of-care handheld imaging devices for the global wound care market for the real-time detection and localization of elevated bacterial load in wounds and for digital wound measurement. The company is also commercializing its unique fluorescence imaging platform technology for other markets with globally relevant, unmet needs including food safety, consumer cosmetics and other key industrial markets.
For more information, contact:
Rob Sandler
Chief Marketing Officer
MolecuLight Inc. T. +1.647.362.4684
rsandler@moleculight.com
www.moleculight.com
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