Human amniotic membrane as a biological dressing for wounds of difficult resolution and possible uses in the HNMD

Abstract

Since ancient times medicine is concerned about how to treat wounds. Even today, several materials have been used in an attempt to accelerate the healing process of various types of wounds. With the advancement of knowledge about the cellular and molecular mechanisms of the healing process, the Human Amniotic Membrane (HAM) has been considered as an ideal biological dressing due to the presence of growth factors, cytokines and extracellular matrix components favorable to the healing process. Numerous world health centers already use HAM as a resource for the treatment of wounds such as burns, post-surgical eye injuries, skin lesions in diabetic patients, among others. The Marcílio Dias Naval Hospital (HNMD), by its Institute of Biomedical Research, has been the processing HAM from parturient women attending this Hospital, in order to provide a wound dressing of low-cost and of great gain to the patients from the Navy Health System with wounds that could be treated with this dressing. Because of the fact that HNMD is a large and high complexity hospital, this unit receives each year, thousands of wounded patients. Among these cases, there are the thermal, electrical and chemical burns, pressure ulcers and post-surgical lesions. Historical examples of radiological accidents of great magnitude, the imminence of war with effective use of nuclear and radiological weapons, besides the recently increased routine practices in the Brazilian Navy nuclear submarine seem to guide for a new use of this biological dressing.