A premature infant with skin injury successfully treated with bilayered cellular matrix

The immature skin of premature infants is functionally less effective than the skin of full-term infants and therefore more vulnerable to injury. This article discusses the use of a biologic wound healing agent--bilayered cellular matrix--to heal a denuded hip wound in a premature infant. The treatment involved a compassionate use, single application of an investigational biologic wound healing agent to a 2.0-cm x 1.5-cm hip wound in a 23-week gestational age premature infant. A sterile, nonadherent dressing containing 3% bismuth tribromophenate in a special petrolatum blend on a fine mesh gauze also was applied over the biologic dressing and changed as needed. Wound closure was evaluated by photographs taken before and after the application of the bilayered cellular matrix. Wound measurements were reduced to 1.0 cm x 0.5 cm by day 4 post application of the bilayered cellular matrix, and clean granulation tissue was present. The wound was healed 10 days later. No signs or symptoms of infection were evident during the follow-up period and no adverse events were recorded. Comparative studies are warranted to fully evaluate the utility of bilayered cellular matrix in this clinical setting.