pH-Triggered Visible Indicator Dressing for Early Diagnosis of Bacterial Wound Infection

• • CMC-PDBI dressing exhibits pH-triggered color change from orange (pH 6.0) to green (pH 6.5–7.5) to blue (pH 8.0), with no visible dye leaching, enabling visual infection detection. • • In a murine model, the dressing turned green within 24 h post-infection, preceding symptom manifestation and rise in CBC inflammatory markers, allowing early intervention. • • Early antimicrobial therapy guided by CMC-PDBI significantly accelerated wound closure and suppressed inflammation, demonstrating clinical utility. • • The smartphone app InfectSense provides a clear assessment of wound infection risk, lowering the diagnostic threshold for clinicians and home caregivers.