title: In vitro susceptibility of methicillin-resistant and methicillin-susceptible strains of Staphylococcus aureus to two different cold atmospheric plasma sources.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Staphylococcus aureus may be the most important wound pathogen and causative for most of surgical site infections. As many anti-staphylococcal drugs are useless because of resistance, novel antimicrobial strategies are strongly needed and may be provided by cold atmospheric plasma (CP), which is being currently investigated for antiseptic efficacy.
  
  
  METHODS
  To test the antimicrobial properties of CP against Staphylococcus aureus, 168 methicillin-susceptible isolates (MSSA) and 50 methicillin-resistant isolates (MRSA) were treated with two technically different plasma sources [an atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ) and a dielectric barrier discharge plasma (DBD)] in vitro.
  
  
  RESULTS
  CP treatment allowed a reproducible and significant growth reduction of MRSA and MSSA. However, MRSA was significantly less susceptible to treatment with DBD than was MSSA, while no difference between MRSA and MSSA was found using APPJ.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As the initial physical antiseptic on skin, CP may be suitable for rapid decolonization of microbial pathogens in vivo. Each device must undergo validated efficacy testing prior to clinical application, as device related differences may occur.
authors.affiliation: Clinic and Polyclinic for Trauma Surgery and Rehabilitative Medicine, Ernst Moritz Arndt University, Sauerbruchstraße, 17475, Greifswald, Germany. matthias.napp@uni-greifswald.de.
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Napp
authors.affiliation: Clinic and Polyclinic of Dermatology, Ernst Moritz Arndt University, Sauerbruchstraße, 17489, Greifswald, Germany.
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Daeschlein
authors.affiliation: Clinic and Polyclinic of Dermatology, Ernst Moritz Arndt University, Sauerbruchstraße, 17489, Greifswald, Germany.
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: von Podewils
authors.affiliation: Clinic and Polyclinic for Trauma Surgery and Rehabilitative Medicine, Ernst Moritz Arndt University, Sauerbruchstraße, 17475, Greifswald, Germany.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hinz
authors.affiliation: Clinic and Polyclinic of Dermatology and Venerology, University Medicine Rostock, Schillingallee 35, 18057, Rostock, Germany.
authors.forename: Steffen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Emmert
authors.affiliation: Clinic and Polyclinic of Dermatology, Ernst Moritz Arndt University, Sauerbruchstraße, 17489, Greifswald, Germany.
authors.forename: Hermann
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Haase
authors.affiliation: Clinic and Polyclinic for Trauma Surgery and Rehabilitative Medicine, Ernst Moritz Arndt University, Sauerbruchstraße, 17475, Greifswald, Germany.
authors.forename: Romy
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Spitzmueller
authors.affiliation: Clinic and Polyclinic for Trauma Surgery and Rehabilitative Medicine, Ernst Moritz Arndt University, Sauerbruchstraße, 17475, Greifswald, Germany.
authors.forename: Denis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gümbel
authors.affiliation: Clinic and Polyclinic of Orthopaedics and Orthopaedic Surgery, Ernst Moritz Arndt University, Sauerbruchstraße, 17475, Greifswald, Germany.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kasch
authors.affiliation: Clinic and Polyclinic of Dermatology, Ernst Moritz Arndt University, Sauerbruchstraße, 17489, Greifswald, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jünger
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects*; D008954:Models, Biological; D058626:Plasma Gases / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013207:Staphylococcal Skin Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D058626:Plasma Gases
keywords: Cold atmospheric plasma (CP); MRSA; Staphylococcus aureus