Clinical Research Directory

DRONE-WOUND Study: Severe Infection After Drone-Related Combat Trauma

Drone-related combat injuries have become one of the most devastating mechanisms of injury in modern warfare. These injuries often cause extensive tissue devitalization, contamination, open fractures, vascular injuries, and complex soft tissue damage, which may substantially increase the risk of severe wound infection, multidrug-resistant bacterial infection, repeated surgical procedures, limb loss, and sepsis. However, the relationship between the extent of tissue devitalization and the development of severe infection has not been systematically investigated. The DRONE-WOUND Study is a prospective observational cohort study designed to evaluate the association between tissue devitalization and severe wound infection in patients with drone-related combat trauma. The study will collect detailed clinical, surgical, microbiological, and radiological data from injured patients treated at participating trauma centers. Measures of tissue injury, contamination, surgical management, microbiological findings, and infection outcomes will be analyzed to identify factors associated with severe infection and poor clinical outcomes. The findings of this study are expected to improve understanding of the mechanisms leading to infection after drone-related injuries, support early identification of high-risk patients, and inform future strategies for surgical management, antimicrobial therapy, and infection prevention in combat trauma. Ultimately, the study aims to improve limb salvage, reduce infectious complications, and enhance outcomes for patients with severe drone-related injuries.

Evaluation of Skin Stiffness Changes in Wounds Before and After Low-Level Laser Therapy

Chronic wounds and impaired healing remain a major clinical challenge, particularly in patients with diabetes, vascular disease, or age-related skin fragility. Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) at 660 nm has been reported to enhance tissue repair, reduce inflammation, and promote angiogenesis. However, the biomechanical properties of wound tissue following LLLT remain poorly understood. Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) provides a non-invasive, high-resolution method to assess skin microstructure and elasticity, while the MyotonPRO offers quantitative stiffness measurements at the tissue surface. Combining these two complementary modalities may provide a more comprehensive assessment of wound healing progression and treatment response. This study aims to evaluate changes in wound stiffness before and after 660 nm LLLT and to compare them against contralateral normal skin, thereby providing objective insight into the biomechanical efficacy of laser treatment.

Study on the Effectiveness of Hypothermal Sulphurous Water in Wound Hygiene

This is an interventional double arms pilot study on the effectiveness of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) rich and microbiologically pure spa sulphurous water, in the wound hygiene of hard-to heal wounds, set in an italian spa facility. At least 24 subjects enrolled according to selection criteria will be 1:1 randomized in two intervention groups: the former (A) undergoing pack of sulphurous water on soaked gauzes for 20 minutes, the latter (B) undergoing full limb immersion for 20 minutes. Differences among the two arms will be assessed as changes in wound microbiome, wound pH, Trans epidermal water loss (TEWL), 1000x ex-vivo microscope imaging, wound fluorescence imaging for bacterial colonization and longitudinal shifts in wound sizing and peculiar features according to the Bates-Jensen Wound Assessment Tool (BWAT). Time required for re-epithelization will be recorded together with any adverse reactions or events for both arms and compared. The study aims at assessing the effectiveness of hydrogen sulfide exogenous supply on infected or colonized hard to heal wounds and which way of administration (pack Vs immersion) could have prevailing effects.