GAINESVILLE, Fla., Oct. 5, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Quick-Med Technologies, Inc. (OTCQB:QMDT) announced today that clinicians from the Burn Center at Shands at the University of Florida have reported continued positive observations from their use of BIOGUARD® wound dressings with Quick-Med's novel NIMBUS® antimicrobial technology in an ongoing clinical assessment. These results will be presented in "Clinical Considerations and Observations on the Use of an Antimicrobial Barrier Wound Dressing" at the 2011 Symposium on Advances in Wound Care meeting. The Symposium is the premier meeting of physicians, wound care nurses, researchers, and other wound care specialists and is being held in Las Vegas, Nevada, on October 13-16, 2011.
The assessment is being conducted at the UF Shands burn unit at the University of Florida by a team led by Robert Nappo, MSN, ARNP, Nurse Manager, with the objective of overcoming chronic shortcomings of common dressings. Nappo previously reported that BIOGUARD dressings have reduced the need for frequent dressing changes and that both caregivers and patients are pleased with the results. "We rarely consider new product claims, but BIOGUARD works so well on heavily exudating wounds that we are replacing all standard rolled gauze products with BIOGUARD," stated Nappo.
Antimicrobial dressings are becoming increasingly attractive to aid in the prevention of nosocomial infections, partly based on increasing pressures on healthcare systems to drive down overall costs. The BIOGUARD® product line is specifically designed for prophylactic use in protecting patients and caregivers. A disadvantage of conventional gauze bandages is that the absorption of exudate into the dressing contributes to the development of high levels of bacteria in the dressing. The polymeric cationic microbicide bound into the BIOGUARD dressing suppresses pathogen growth to maintain an antimicrobial barrier between wounds and the external environment.
Quick-Med recently reported in the Australian Journal of Wound Care the compatibility of these dressings with certain wound cleansing and debridement modalities that are contraindicated for various widely used dressing chemistries. The issue of compatibility of dressing chemistry with common treatment modalities is only recently being recognized, as the number of possible combinations of wound treatments and antimicrobial dressings is vastly expanding, while caregivers are often not aware of possible negative interactions.
The results of the Shands study demonstrate that NIMBUS technology not only prevents rapid bacterial growth in gauze dressings saturated with heavy wound exudates but also eliminates the associated strong objectionable odor that is characteristic of bacterial contamination in such dressings. The assessment involved direct comparison of standard gauze and BIOGUARD dressings on patents with very large, exudating wounds covering more than 70 percent of total body surface area. In each case, the standard gauze bandages developed a metallic green color and strong odor characteristic of Pseudomonas aeruginosa within 24 hours of applying the bandage. In marked contrast, BIOGUARD gauze bandages applied to wounds adjacent to the standard gauze remain white with no discoloration or other visible evidence of bacterial fouling.
BIOGUARD dressings are manufactured by Derma Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq:DSCI) and distributed by Medline Industries to Shands Hospitals in Gainesville and Jacksonville.
About NIMBUS
Quick-Med's patented technology, NIMBUS, is a cutting-edge antimicrobial technology that has been custom designed for wound care and other medical applications. NIMBUS received De Novo FDA clearance in 2009 and has been commercialized in traditional wound care applications. It is the only non-leaching antimicrobial dressing and, by design, poses no risk of bacteria developing resistance. NIMBUS technology is protected by eleven U.S. patents and patents pending and 24 foreign counterparts. Additional applications under development include advanced wound dressings, medical adhesives, and catheters.
About the Symposium on Advances Wound Care/Wound Healing Society
Now in its 24th year, the Symposium is the premier educational wound care program within this clinical field and is one of the largest annual gatherings of wound care clinicians in the United States.
About Shands at the University of Florida
Shands at the University of Florida is a private, not-for-profit hospital specializing in tertiary care for critically ill patients. Shands at UF continually receives recognition as one of the best hospitals in the nation by U.S. News and World Report because of its dedication to patient care, education and research. It is the primary teaching hospital for the UF College of Medicine. More than 500 physicians representing 110 medical specialties work with a team of healthcare professionals to provide quality care for patients. The faculty from the UF College of Medicine includes nationally and internationally recognized physicians whose expertise is supported by intensive research activities.
About Quick-Med Technologies, Inc.
Quick-Med Technologies, Inc. is a life sciences company that is developing advanced antimicrobial technologies for infection prevention and control for the consumer and healthcare markets. The Company is developing NIMBUS applications in several other advanced wound dressing formats including adhesives, foams, hydrogels, films, and hydrocolloids. Its NimbuDerm™ technology is being developed as a persistent hand sanitizer and its Stay Fresh® technology, the Company's latest innovation, provides highly durable antimicrobial protection for apparel and other textile applications. For more information, see: www.quickmedtech.com.
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© 2011 Quick-Med Technologies, Inc. All rights reserved. NIMBUS® and Stay Fresh® are registered trademarks and NimbuDerm™ is a trademark of Quick-Med Technologies, Inc. BIOGUARD® is a registered trademark of Derma Sciences, Inc.
Forward-looking statements (statements which are not historical facts) in this release are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. For this purpose, any statements contained in this release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, words such as "may", "will", "to", "expect", "plan", "believe", "anticipate", "intend", "could", "would", "estimate", and/or "continue" or the negative or other variations thereof or comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including those risks that are discussed in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), which may be accessed at the SEC's Edgar System at www.sec.gov.