Chitosan and Alginate Wound Dressings: A Short Review

The skin is considered the largest organ of the body and has many different functions. The epidermis or outer layer is made of mostly dead cells with a protein called keratin. This makes the layer waterproof and is responsible for protection against the environment. The dermis or middle layer is made up of living cells. It also has blood vessels and nerves that run through it and is primarily responsible for structure and support. The subcutaneous fat layer is primarily responsible for insulation and shock absorbency. Cells on the surface of the skin are constantly being replaced by regeneration from below with the top layers sloughing off. The repair of an epithelial wound is merely a scaling up of this normal process. Science of wound healing is recorded as healing on a clay tablet, one of the oldest medical texts dated 2200 BC. It describes the three gestures as; Washing the wound; Making plasters; and Bandaging the wound. Although there had been a significant advancement in today's science of wound healing the basic theme seems to be similar. The work of Joseph Lister and Louis Pasteur established a sound basis for the management of infection by identifying the cause and developing methods for preventing it (1). Louis Pasteur proved that bacteria did not spontaneously generate but were introduced into wounds from a foreign source. These findings encouraged Lister's advocacy of frequent washing with soap and water and fueled his search for ways to kill bacteria, or the — a major advance in the field of wound healing. The antiseptic technique was followed shortly by the aseptic technique, in which a sterile environment was used to prevent the onset of infection.