A Prospective, Randomized, Parallel Study Comparing Transdermal, Continuous Oxygen Therapy (TCOT) to Standard of Care to Assess Postoperative Wound Infection Rate in Perineal Resections

EPIFLO is a Small, silent disposable, battery-operated oxygen concentrator capable of delivering 98% to 100% oxygen (balance moisture) for seven days at a rate of ~3.0 ml/hour; and 60" long sterile cannula (tube) that conveys the oxygen concentrator to the area beneath the bandage overlying the wound.

The primary objective of this study is to compare the number of surgical site infections associated with perineal surgery within 30 days between subjects randomized to receive EPIFLO or Standard of Care. Secondary Study objectives include Resource utilization and duration of hospitalization.

Hypothesis 1: The proportion of surgical site infections will be lower for patients treated with Transdermal Continuous Oxygen Therapy (TCOT) Hypothesis 2: In the patients who develop infections, wounds will be smaller and heal more rapidly in those treated with Transdermal Continuous Oxygen Therapy.

Key Safety Assessments Include potential dermatological toxicity changes attributed to EPIFLO as measured by observed and reported discomfort and changes in skin during and after the Treatment Period (It is essential to establish the difference between toxicity from the dressing vs. toxicity arising out of EPIFLO).

This Study will be a randomized controlled trial of 30 patients aged 18-80 years who are scheduled to undergo elective perineal resection surgery at the University of Maryland Medical Center. This study is designed to be a Phase II safety & efficacy study. Patients who met the inclusion/exclusion criteria will be randomized to receive the interventional device with Standard of Care or Standard of Care only (1:1). The patients will be equally divided between the two arms. Sham devices are not involved in this study. Wound infections will be diagnosed by the investigator using Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Criteria. As an additional measure to prevent bias, the pictures of the wounds may be sent to an independent clinical specialist for assessment of infection; this specialist will be blinded to get an objective opinion.