Pressure-sensitive antibacterial hydrogel dressing for wound monitoring in bed ridden patients

Pressure ulcer is a common chronic injury in the bedridden population. The wound is easily subjected to secondary pressure injury due to the inconvenient mobility of patients, which greatly prolongs the hospital stay of patients and is highly prone to wound infection or other complications. It is urgent to develop a multifunctional wound dressing with pressure sensing, real-time monitoring, and wound therapy to overcome the secondary pressure injury during treatment. Here, a polyvinyl alcohol/acrylamide-ionic liquid hydrogel dressing is designed based on the antibacterial property and electrical conductivity of imidazolidine ionic liquids. Compared with existing pressure-sensing hydrogels, the hydrogel exhibits extremely high pressure sensitivity (9.19 kPa-1). Meanwhile, the good real-time responsiveness, stable signal output as well as excellent mechanical properties enable the hydrogel to monitor human movement on a large scale, and transmit the pressure status of patient wounds to nursing staff in a timely manner to avoid secondary pressure injuries. In addition, this hydrogel dressing exhibits a wide range of antibacterial activities against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria as well as fungi, and has a significant therapeutic effect on full-thickness skin wounds by inhibiting wound infection, rapidly eradicating inflammation, promoting proliferation and tissue remodeling. This multifunctional hydrogel dressing opens a therapeutic and regulatory two-pronged strategy avenue through chronic wound management and pressure sensing monitoring.