Blast Away BioFilm with BlastX

Published in Wound Care on December 02, 2019

By Heather Trumm, Director of VGM Wound Care

What is biofilm? Wound care clinicians know this term very well because it’s a road block to wound healing. I recently learned about a new product and wanted to share. It’s a product that will deconstruct and destroy biofilm and defend the wound from recolonization. 

So, what is biofilm?

Biofilms are powerful microbial microcolonies that become encased within a clear extracellular polymetric substance. Biofilms are very powerful and form on various surfaces such as wound tissue, biotic surfaces, and medical devices. When the biofilm forms on wound surfaces, it usually causes a delay in wound healing. Approximately 90% of chronic wounds have biofilm and 100% of diabetic foot ulcers contain biofilms. Only 6% of acute wounds have been shown to have biofilm.   

So how do we get rid of biofilm? The solution is BlastX™.  

BlastX Antimicrobial Wound Gel deconstructs the biofilm EPS matrix, destroys bacteria within the gel, and defends from recolonization while maintaining a moist wound environment. BlastX contains citric acid which deconstructs the biofilm, and benzalkonium chloride, which acts as a surfactant and antimicrobial, reducing the surface tension of biofilm to kill the bacteria. Typically, biofilm reforms within 24–72 hours after mechanical disruption such as debridement, but BlastX works to defend the wound to keep biofilm from growing back.

To learn more about BlastX, visit woundsinternational.com and download “Biofilms Made Easy.”

If you have a question about BlastX or any other wound care products, or if you an idea for a blog topic, contact me directly by phone at 319-493-8523 or via email at heather.trumm@vgm.com. We would love to cover topics that you want to know more about! 

Source: Phillips PL, Wolcott RD, Fletcher J, Schultz GS. Biofilms Made Easy. Wounds International 2010; 1(3): Available from http://www.woundsinternational.com