The antiseptic-carrying hydrogel was formed for postoperative wound care considering the potential risk of nosocomial infection.
The objective of the work presented was to study bactericidal properties of the hydrogel saturated with antiseptic solutions.
Materials and methods. Samples of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide/laponite) hydrogel nanocomposition were autoclaved and then saturated with Chlorhexidine or Decasan. In vitro experiments were performed using the samples contamination with Lab strains of S. aureus or E. coli. In clinical study 20 patients with purulent infection of soft tissues were observed, whose incisional wounds were drained with antiseptic-saturated hydrogel strips. Washouts from hydrogel samples were used to estimate bacterial growth reduction rate after 24 h incubation on plain agar at 37 °С.
Results and discussion. In vitro suppression of bacterial growth appeared to be both in gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria with Log10 Reduction Factor 2.16–2.35 and 1.85–1.93, respectively. In clinical study plentiful growth of S. aureus, S. epidermidis, and Enterococcus spp. was revealed in reference cases, though significant suppression of pathogen microflora during the hydrogel using with both Chlorhexidine (S. epidermidis — 100%, n=4; Streptococcus spp. — 100%, n=4; Enterococcus spp. — 90%, n=2) and Decasan (Methicillin-resistant S. aureus — 85%, n=6; S. epidermidis — 70%, n=3; E. coli — 55%, n=1).
Conclusion. Thus, the proposed hydrogel nanocompositions have good prospects for restricting nosocomial infection risk in postoperative patients.