Temporary Skin Substitute from Non-Antigenic Dextran Hydrogel

Abstract

Accidental injury with loss of skin is considered to be a “neglected disease”, partly because of the superficial nature of damage to the protective layer of the body. Surveys conducted in the U.S. show that such injury is among the principal causes of death in North America between ages 1 and 44 [1]. In the Canadian province of Ontario, there were over 50,000 people suffered loss of skin in 1977 due to trauma (including surgical autograft), disease (e.g., ulceration) or burns from electrical, chemical or thermal agents. Patients often must change their occupations or alter their normal activities, and in addition many working or school days are lost annually through lengthy stays in hospital as well as re-admission for revision of scars. Besides pain and the high incidence of bacterial infection, loss of skin is followed by excessive evaporation of vital body fluids which initiates a series of physiological responses as illustrated schematically in the following diagram: