Molecular diagnostics and personalised medicine in wound care: assessment of outcomes

Objective: This large, level a, retrospective cohort study set out to compare healing outcomes in three large cohorts of wound patients managed universally for bioburden: standard of care group, who were prescribed systemic antibiotics on the basis of empiric and traditional culture-based methodologies; treatment group 1, who were prescribed an improved selection of systemic antibiotics based on the results of molecular diagnostics; treatment group 2 who received personalised topical therapeutics (including antibiotics) based on the results of molecular diagnostics. Method: apart from the differences in diagnostic methods and antibiotic treatments described above, all three cohorts were subjected to the same biofilm-based wound care protocol, which included evaluation of the host and bioburden, frequent sharp debridement, use of wound dressings and comprehensive standard care (reperfusion therapy, nutritional support, offoading, compression and management of comorbidities). Results: In all, 1378 patients ...