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Combat Wound Care (CRT4)
The mission of CRT4 focuses on improving outcomes of extremity trauma and burns. For orthopaedic trauma, focus is preventing infection of complex wounds such as open fractures, reducing the loss of tissue from compartment syndrome, and stabilizing and offloading lower extremity injuries for ambulation. The burn research efforts concentrates on preventing wound infection, progression, and conversion; wound coverage; and nonsurgical debridement.
Highlighted Major Capabilities
- Understanding of the pathophysiology that causes complications and mortality
- Knowledge of battlefield medicine
- Insight on impact of large-scale combat operations on evacuation and treatment of casualties
- Preclinical models that are relevant to combat casualty care
- Experience with shortcoming of current standard of care treatments
- Ability to successfully collaborate with industry and academic partners
2035 "paradigm-changing" efforts include:
- A drug-loaded dressing that improves the wound healing process
- Harness microbiome to produce lytic enzymes to debride wound and prevent infection
While moving toward these goals:
- Food and Drug Administration approved Ag+Ce solid dressing to stabilize burn wounds
- Non-surgical wound debridement technology, with both debriding as well as a temporizing cover for burn and other soft tissue injuries.