Management of bioburden with a burn gel that targets nociceptors.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the effectiveness of RescuDerm, an amorphous, water-soluble burn gel in controlling Pseudomonas aeruginosa growth in rat full-thickness wounds contaminated with 10(3), 10(5) or 10(7) CFU/g tissue.


METHODS
Wounds were treated daily for 72 hours with a placebo gel, a 5% w/w mafenide acetate gel (MAF), or with four modalities of RescuDerm application.


RESULTS
All RescuDerm treatments were equally effective within 24 hours in preventing further Pseudomonas aeruginosa growth in wounds contaminated with 10(3) CFU/g tissue. Pseudomonas aeruginosa levels remained at or below this baseline count for 72 hours in all but one of the RescuDerm treatments. The bioburdens in MAF-treated wounds were negligible, averaging 0.14 +/- 0.09 log10 CFU/g tissue. While RescuDerm and MAF remained bacteriostatic in wounds contaminated with 10(5) CFU/g tissue, this property disappeared at higher bioburdens.


CONCLUSIONS
RescuDerm can be used for the management of cutaneous injuries sustained in environments deemed marginally or moderately contaminated. Heavily contaminated wounds would require irrigation prior to application to reduce their bioburden below 10(5) CFU/g tissue.
Martineau
L
L
Defence Research and Development Canada, Valcartier, Québec, Canada. lucie.martineau@drdc-rddc.gc.ca
Dosch
H M
HM
D019342:Acetic Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000818:Animals; D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002056:Burns / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D019343:Citric Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004338:Drug Combinations; D005782:Gels; D008272:Mafenide / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D009619:Nociceptors / Q000187:drug effects*; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014946:Wound Infection / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology
D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local; D004338:Drug Combinations; D005782:Gels; D019343:Citric Acid; D008272:Mafenide; D019342:Acetic Acid