A Podiatrist’s Take on HOCl: A Complete Solution for Foot Care Professionals
Podiatrists have a unique role to play in patient health care. While a number of products are available for the treatment of diverse podiatry conditions, hypochlorous acid based solutions offer podiatry professionals an innovative foot care solution, suitable for a variety of patient needs. Here we take a look at the uses and benefits of hypochlorous acid in podiatry.
While a number of solutions on the market offer podiatrists antibacterial or cleansing benefits, HOCl goes one step further - offering podiatrist’s clinically-supported innovation. Here we take a look at three key components that make hypochlorous acid a complete solution for podiatry professionals.
Top 3 Reasons Using HOCl is a Must for Foot Care Professionals
1. Bioburden Management
The importance of reducing skin and nail bioburden prior to beginning a podiatry procedure cannot be overstated. Micro-abrasions or epidermal openings on the foot can create a portal for bacteria to enter. Hypochlorous acid solutions are effective against a wide range of bacteria, fungi, yeast, and viruses. In an In-vivo evaluation of bacterial reductions of S. aureus on healthy skin, the topical application of hypochlorous acid resulted in a 99.9% bacterial reduction of multiple bacteria, including S. aureus [MRSA], S. pyogenes, Klebsiella spp, P. aeruginosa, Enterobacter spp, Proteus mirablis, C. difficile spores, and Candida albicans¹.
Hypochlorous acid is an effective means of ensuring bacterial reduction on the skin prior to podiatry treatments. With strong clinically-proven antimicrobial properties, you can ensure pre-procedure disinfection in one easy step with minimal skin irritation.
2. Proven Safety & Efficacy
In comparison to traditional cleansing products, that have demonstrated toxicity against healthy fibroplasts³, HOCl is a safe-yet-powerful, non-cytotoxic antimicrobial solution with additional odour fighting properties. Because wound healing is dependent on maintaining bacterial balance while not impairing healthy tissues, hypochlorous acid presents physicians with an antiseptic solution that has comparable efficacy to traditional antiseptics, without any of the negative cytotoxic effects³. Used for the treatment of chronic wounds for many years, HOCl has been proven to decrease local skin inflammation, treat topical infections, disrupt biofilms and optimize the wound healing environment¹.
3. Gentle & Safe Cleansing
From their early clinical training, foot care professionals have historically used isopropyl alcohol or chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) perioperatively. Though effective at reducing skin and nail surface bacterial levels, these solutions have numerous drawbacks, including cytotoxicity, allergies and sensitivities.
Existing scholarly research has observed that 0.01% hypochlorous acid was shown to have equal or more effective antiseptic properties when compared to isopropyl alcohol (70%), povidone iodine (5%), and chlorhexidine gluconate (4%), proving its role as a more efficacious topical skin antiseptic².
Making the Switch
Hypochlorous acid products like BIHOCL PureCleanse are a uniquely safe and powerful topical antiseptic. With its powerful antimicrobial properties and effective ability to disrupt biofilms; all podiatrists should consider making the switch to hypochlorous acid cleansing solutions.
To explore the benefits of BIHOCL PureCleanse Advanced Wound Cleansing Solution, and other products best suit your practice, click here. Or, you can jump over to our Advanced Wound Care page to learn more about our pure hypochlorous acid technology and its formulated specifically for physicians.
References
- Del Rosso, J. Q., & Bhatia, N. (2018). Status report on topical hypochlorous acid: clinical relevance of specific formulations, potential modes of action, and study outcomes. The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 11 (11), 36.
- Anagnostopoulos, A. G., Rong, A., Miller, D., Tran, A. Q., Head, T., Lee, M. C., & Lee, W. W. (2018). 0.01% hypochlorous acid as an alternative skin antiseptic: an in vitro comparison. Dermatologic surgery, 44(12), 1489-1493.
- Hoon, R., Rani, S. A., Najafi, R., Wang, L., & Debabov, D. (2013). Antimicrobial activity comparison of pure hypochlorous acid (0.01%)∗ with other wound and skin cleansers at nontoxic concentrations. Wound Repair Regen [Internet], 21(2), A27.
LEADING THE WAY IN HOCl FOR HEALTHCARE
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