Dakin solution alters macrophage viability and function

Reactive skin decontamination lotion (RSDL) safety with clinical antiseptics and hemostatic agents

Reactive skin decontamination lotion (RSDL) is a Health Canada approved product used by the Canadian Armed Forces for removal and inactivation of toxic chemicals on skin. Although it is considered very safe when used as directed, questions have been raised regarding whether topical RSDL in the medical setting will react exothermically with antiseptic compounds on the casualty's epidermis that could result in thermal burns. Benchtop experiments were conducted to investigate reactivity of RSDL with various antiseptic compounds or hemostatic agents. Temperature changes were closely monitored in three different volume ratios, 1:10, 1:1, and 10:1 over a time course of 16 minutes. Chlorine based bleaches versus RSDL were included as a positive control and were the only combination that exhibited a significant exothermic reaction capable of causing minor thermal burns. RSDL was also evaluated with antiseptic solution applied to swine epidermal tissue without observation of visual irritation; then in lacerated skeletal muscle tissue which resulted in no measured temperature change. The conclusion of this study is that antiseptics and hemostatic agents can be used as required on a patient decontaminated with RSDL as no exothermic reaction will occur.

Amino acid buffered hypochlorite facilitates debridement of porcine infected burn wounds

INTRODUCTION

Removal of necrotic tissue is a vital step in the treatment of full-thickness burn wounds, with surgical debridement being the most effective method. Since minor burn wounds are typically treated on an outpatient basis where surgical capabilities can be limited there is a need for alternative treatment options. In this study we aim to evaluate the use of amino acid buffered hypochlorite (AABH) as a chemical enhancement for wound debridement in a porcine infected burn wound model.

METHOD

A total of 60 full-thickness burn wounds, 3 cm in diameter, were created on four pigs using a standardized burn device. The wounds were inoculated with 107 colony-forming units (CFU) of S. aureus. The experimental groups included wounds debrided with a plastic curette, wounds debrided after pretreatment with AABH, and control wounds wiped with gauze. Wounds were treated twice per week for three weeks. Debridement, healing, and infection parameters were evaluated over time.

RESULTS

After one week, but not after two and three weeks, the curette and AABH groups had higher debrided weights compared to control (p < 0.05). Percentage of wound area adequately cleared from necrotic tissue was higher in the AABH-group compared to the curette-group and control, after one week. The earliest healing was measured in the AABH group after two weeks (5 % of wounds), which also had the most healed wounds after three weeks (55 %). In both the AABH and the curette groups, bacterial load had fallen below 105 CFU/g after two weeks. No CFU were detectable in the AABH group after three weeks. The AABH-group was also the easiest to debride.

CONCLUSION

Our results indicate that AABH facilitates wound debridement and could be a helpful addition to an effective treatment modality for removal of necrotic tissue in full-thickness burns.

The role of negative pressure wound therapy with instillation and dwell time in the treatment of deep sternal wound infections-A retrospective cohort study

Background and Aims

Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) has gained a central role in the treatment of deep sternal wound infections (DSWIs) after median thoracotomy. Our study aims at proving the safety of using NPWT with instillation and dwell time (NPWTi-d) in the treatment of DSWI.

Methods

We retrospectively evaluated the patients who were treated at our institution between March 2018 and November 2021 for DSWI after radical sternectomy using NPWT or NPWTi-d. The NPWTi-d was applied to start the first postoperative day using 75 mmHg negative pressure for 3 h, followed by instillation of sodium hypochlorite <0.08% with a 3-min dwell time.

Results

The NPWTi-d group showed a shorter length of stay (29.39 ± 12.09 vs. 39.54 ± 17.07 days; p = 0.049), a shorter elapsed time between the debridement and the flap coverage (7.18 ± 4.27 vs. 11.86 ± 7.7 days; p = 0.003) and less operative or nonoperative dressing changes (1.73 ± 1.14 vs. 2.68 ± 56; p < 0.001). The in-hospital mortality was 8.2%, with no significant differences between the two groups (p = 1).

Conclusion

NPWTi-d can be safely employed in the treatment of DSWI. Further prospective randomized studies need to establish the role of NPWTi-d in the control of infection and biofilm as well as in wound healing.

Use of Adjunct Antiseptic Agents in Periprosthetic Joint Infections

Periprosthetic joint infection is a leading cause for failure of contemporary total hip arthroplasty and total knee arthroplasty projected to nearly double in the next decade and reach an economic burden of $1.85 billion in the United Sates by 2030. Although multiple treatments for periprosthetic joint infection have been described, a thorough débridement and joint lavage to decrease bacterial bioburden and to remove biofilm remains a critical component of treatment. Various adjunct antiseptic agents such as chlorhexidine, povidone-iodine, hydrogen peroxide, acetic acid, and chlorine compounds are currently in off-label use in this capacity. Each antiseptic agent, however, has a distinct mechanism of action and targets different organisms, and some combinations of agents may lead to tissue toxicity. In this review, currently available adjunct antiseptic washes will be described in detail based on their mechanism of action and the evidence for their use will be reviewed. Furthermore, this review puts forward an evidence-based treatment algorithm based on the specific causative organism.

Palliative Wound Care: Less Is More

Palliative wound care is a philosophy of wound management that prioritizes comfort over healing and attends to the emotional distress these wounds can cause. Intervention strategies focus on management of symptoms such as pain, odor, bleeding, and exudate. Historic treatments such as honey, chlorine, and vinegar have gained renewed interest, and although well suited to the palliative setting, there is an increasing amount of research exploring their efficacy in other contexts. The lived experience of patients and caregivers facing these wounds is often stressful and isolating, and any treatment plan must address these issues along with the physical aspects of care.

Antimicrobial Irrigation and Technique during Breast Augmentation: Survey of Current Practice

Breast augmentation is among the most common procedures performed in the United States. Though bacterial contamination of breast prostheses is associated with adverse sequelae, there are no universally accepted guidelines and limited best practice recommendations for antimicrobial breast pocket irrigation. We designed a survey to identify pocket irrigation preferences and antimicrobial techniques during implant-based breast augmentation among American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) members.

METHODS

In January 2018, a random cohort of 2,488 ASPS members was surveyed. Questions queried breast pocket irrigation methods and surgical techniques including implant placement, incision location, and implant soaking agents. An extensive literature review of breast pocket irrigation practices was completed and used as a basis for the survey.

RESULTS

The survey response rate was above the ASPS average at 16% (n = 407). Respondents preferred an inframammary incision (90%) and submuscular implant placement (92%). Triple antibiotic solution (TAS) and TAS + Betadine ± Bacitracin were preferred by 61% and Betadine variants by 11%. Preferred dwell times stratified to 30 seconds (39%), 1 minute (18%), 2-5 minutes (21%), and >5 minutes (22%). Among those employing a TAS variant, 53% preferred a suboptimal dwell time of ≤1 minute. Prostheses were soaked in TAS (42%), TAS + Betadine ± Bacitracin (15%), a Betadine variant (12%), or other (31%).

CONCLUSIONS

Periprosthetic bacterial contamination leads to comorbidity following breast augmentation. Our results reveal significant variability regarding breast pocket irrigation techniques among ASPS members during cosmetic breast augmentation. These data suggest the need for best practice guidelines regarding breast pocket irrigation and implant soaking agents.

Rapid degradation and non-selectivity of Dakin's solution prevents effectiveness in contaminated musculoskeletal wound models

BACKGROUND

Dakin's solution (buffered sodium hypochlorite) has been used as a topical adjunct for the treatment of invasive fungal infections in trauma patients. Prudent use of Dakin's solution (DS) for complex musculoskeletal wound management implies balancing antimicrobial efficacy and human tissue toxicity, but little empirical evidence exists to inform clinical practice. To identify potentially efficacious DS concentrations and application methods, we conducted two animal studies to evaluate the ability of DS to reduce bacterial burden in small and large animal models of contaminated musculoskeletal wounds.

METHODS

An established rat (Rattus norvegicus) contaminated femoral defect model was employed to evaluate the antimicrobial efficacy of DS as a topical adjunctive treatment for Staphylococcus aureus infection. A range of clinically-relevant DS concentrations (0.00025%-0.125%) were tested, both with and without periodic replenishment during treatment. Next, an established goat (Capra hircus) musculoskeletal wound model, consisting of a Pseudomonas aeruginosa contaminated proximal tibia cortical defect, muscle crush, and thermal injury, was utilized to evaluate the antimicrobial efficacy of dilute DS (0.0025% and 0.025%) as a surgical irrigant solution. In situ reactive chlorine concentrations were monitored throughout each treatment using an automated iodometric titration approach.

RESULTS

In a rat wound model, DS treatment did not significantly reduce S. aureus bioburden after 14 days as compared to saline control. Two treatment groups (0.01% single application and 0.025% multiple application) exhibited significantly higher bacterial burden than control. In a goat musculoskeletal wound model, neither 0.0025% nor 0.025% DS significantly altered P. aeruginosa bioburden immediately following treatment or at 48 h post-treatment. Overall, DS applied to exposed soft tissue exhibited rapid degradation, e.g., 0.125% DS degraded 32% after 5 s progressing to 86% degradation after 15 min following single application.

CONCLUSIONS

We did not observe evidence of a therapeutic benefit following Dakin's solution treatment for any tested concentration or application method in two contaminated musculoskeletal wound models. Despite confirmation of robust bactericidal activity in vitro, our findings suggest DS at current clinically-used concentrations does not kill tissue surface-attached bacteria, nor does it necessarily cause host tissue toxicity that exacerbates infection in the setting of complex musculoskeletal injury.