Sports medicine
Competition sport frequently results in wounds and injuries, which need to heal rapidly, without any complications, and without long-term impact.
Typical wound care consists of antimicrobials, i.e. antibiotics and antiseptics, but despite being used for decades they have never in clinical studies been shown to be effective and they are associated with long-term side effects – please see below. Amicapsil has been demonstrated superior to antimicrobials in clinical studies, it is effective on antimicrobial-resistant infections, and it is safe to use.
Small wounds such as blisters and minor lacerations will usually heal on their own, but they can be painful and, if at a tournament, this can be distracting. Also, anything that can accelerate healing and reduce the risk of later complications will be important. Amicapsil will support the healing of these wounds, and it will usually reduce or prevent pain as it reduces wound inflammation and risk of infection. The use of Amicapsil does not have to interfere with the activities and its use can easily be managed by the athlete or a trainer.
Amicapsil is also effective on more serious injuries, e.g. full-thickness burns, trauma wounds, and surgical wounds that spring open or become infected. This type of treatment will typically take place after the tournament and may involve surgery. The frequency of infected trauma wounds, surgical wounds, and burns is unfortunately high, including resistant infections, but Amicapsil has been shown able to treat them.
Amicapsil has been reviewed by the International Doping Agency and can be used in competition sport for treating wounds.
- Leave the powder in place.
- Depending on type of sport and location of wound, it may be preferable to cover the wound surface for protection during the event.
- Wash thoroughly with plenty of tap water or bottled drinking water.
- Apply Amicapsil, and, if possible, give it time to settle, i.e. 15-30 min.
- If necessary, cover with a woven, 100% pure cotton gauze swab. Otherwise, leave the wound open to air, only covered with Amicapsil.
- Ensure that air can get to the wound surface unhindered at all times.
- Don’t rest the wound directly on anything, e.g. a cushion.
- If necessary, use a small, portable pump to provide ambient air. Don´t use a fan.
- Don’t use synthetic clothing
- Give the wound peace and quiet.
- See Instructions for Use for its continued treatment.
- Ask Willingsford for specific advice on your wound: contact @ willingsford.com.
Certain conditions and medications interfere with wound healing and the ability to fight infection. In these cases, it is paramount to start treatment of any injuries immediately to prevent long-term complications.
Spinal cord injury (SCI):
SCI reduces the ability to fight infection below the site of injury, and this means impaired wound healing and increased risk of developing osteomyelitis (bone infection).
It is therefore essential to start treatment with Amicapsil as soon as possible if a wound, pressure injury, or burn occurs. An untreated or not healed injury can result in life-changing effects, particularly the development of osteomyelitis. However, if treatment is started early, the risks are lower, healing goes faster, and less Amicapsil is needed. Please visit our page focusing on wound treatment in people with SCI.
Prosthesis
A prosthesis can give rise to skin issues, blisters, pressure injuries, inflammation, dermatitis (skin infection), and other problems. In addition to conditions involving wounds with obvious skin breakage, Amicapsil is also effective on many skin conditions, e.g. allergic reactions and dermatitis.
Antibiotics and antiseptics (disinfectants) are extensively used in wound care, but they have never been demonstrated effective in treating wounds:
NICE (2014) Pressure ulcer guidance:
Systemic antibiotics, topical antimicrobials, and NPWT should not be used for treating pressure ulcers.
FDA (2016) Executive summary on wound dressings:
“Dressings with antibiotics and antiseptics are ineffective in treating wound infections and in supporting healing.”
Hussey et al. (2019):
“This paper suggests that in the last 20 years there has been a large increase in the use of antimicrobial wound dressings [in the UK] despite a lack of research evidence to support their routine use.”
FDA (2022) after a 2-year review of the area of wound healing (Amicapsil not yet approved in US):
Wounds not healing spontaneously constitute an unmet medical need due to lack of effective treatments.
Antimicrobials cause a number of long-term side effects, likely due to their effects on the gut microbiome, where the impact of a single course of antibiotics can still be seen after 2 years. The side-effects include increased frequency of:
- In adults and children: cancer, obesity, diabetes, asthma, and mental health issues.
- In women: miscarriage and foetal malformations.
- In children: ADHD and functional impairment in development, cognition and immune function.
AMR (antimicrobial resistance) is when the treatment that previously would kill the targeted group of microbes no longer kills them. The microbes have developed the ability to survive (resist) the impact of the treatment. Microbes have several effective ways to defend themselves, they rapidly develop new ways, and they share these methods between them – not only between the same microbial species but across species. When a person has developed AMR to a certain treatment, e.g. an antibiotic, this drug is no longer effective in that person, even if it is given at a later date against an infection in a different organ, e.g pneumonia. The person has developed AMR.
In some cases, it may be possible to change to a different antibiotic, but it is becoming increasingly common that bacteria are resistant to all the antibiotics we have available. If this happens, nothing can be done.
Both antibiotics and antiseptics give rise to antimicrobial resistance (AMR), including cross-resistance. An antibiotic can cause microbes to become resistant to other antibiotics and antiseptics; and, an antiseptic can cause microbial resistance to other antiseptics and to antibiotics.
Earth’s atmospheric composition is the result of microbial activity, and its maintenance still primarily depends on microbial activity and balance.
Since 1954, it has been known that antibiotics release CO2 from soil. Newer studies show that antibiotics, antiseptics, disinfectants, surfactants and many food additives contribute to antimicrobial resistance. This changes the microbial environments, causing dysbiosis and reducing the Earth’s ability to adapt and counteract the impact of human activity.
Synthetic antimicrobials, such as antibiotics and antiseptics, released into the environment therefore interfere with terrestrial and aquatic carbon capture and storage and thereby contribute to climate change. Their impact is considerable:
- A single course of antibiotics causes the release of 9.84 tonnes of CO2 from the soil. This is the equivalent to a standard car driving around the Earth 1.5 times.
- Antibiotics reduce storage capacity of fertile land areas by 194.8 billion tonnes CO2. This is the equivalent of 5.2 times the total CO2 emissions from human activity in 2022.
The use of antimicrobials, e.g. in wound care, where they are ineffective, should, therefore, be stopped.