Gentamicin sponges, implantable topical antibiotic agents, are approved for surgical implantation in 54 countries. Since 1985, more than one million patients have been treated with these sponges.1–3 However, despite having been studied for over 30 years, their effectiveness is still disputed … Han et al have found that applying gentamicin-impregnated sponges during spinal operations significantly decreases surgical-site infection (SSI).4 Chang et al have conducted a meta-analysis encompassing 15 randomized control trials and also concluded that gentamicin sponges decrease the rate of SSI.5 Schimmer et al have used a controlled, prospective, randomized double-blind study to investigate the efficacy of gentamicin sponges in sternal wound complications after heart surgery. They enrolled 720 patients and found that gentamicin sponges effectively reduce infection complications … However, several other studies have demonstrated that gentamicin-impregnated sponges cannot reduce SSI, and some researchers have even proposed that the sponges increase the risk of infection. Wouthuyzen-Bakker et al have discussed the efficacy of applying gentamicin-impregnated sponges locally during debridement in early acute periprosthetic joint infections. They found that their application does not reduce the incidence … read more
Tag: wound infections
Molecular Diagnosis of SSTIs May Yield Better Clinical Outcomes
Molecular diagnostics such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR)–based tests provide faster, more complete results than traditional culture-based tests, and their use may improve outcomes for patients with chronic wounds and skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs), according to new findings presented at the 21st Annual MAD-ID Meeting held May 9 to 12 in Orlando, Florida.
About 6.5 million individuals were afflicted with chronic wounds and SSTIs in the United States in 2009.1 The costs of treating associated complications reached upward of $25 billion at that time. A more recent study estimated that annual Medicare spending for all wound types ranged from $28.1 billion to a whopping $96.8 billion in 2014.2
“These costs could potentially be mitigated with the use of rapid diagnostics that have the capability to better identify wound pathogens and thus allow clinicians to provide better clinical care through targeted antimicrobial therapy,” said Tanya Moreno, PhD, vice president of research and development at Millennium Health, citing a Mayo Clinic Proceedings article on the hospitalists’ view of treating SSTIs … read more
Multi-resistant Infections: A Global Concern
A presentation by Associate Professor Geoff Sussman on antimicrobial resistence.
Resistant microorganisms (including bacteria, fungi, viruses and parasites) are able to withstand attack by antimicrobial drugs, such as antibacterial drugs (e.g., antibiotics), antifungals, antivirals, and antimalarials, so that standard treatments become ineffective and infections persist, increasing the risk of spread to others … read more (pdf)
Efficacy of an imaging device at identifying the presence of bacteria in …
… wounds at a plastic surgery outpatients clinic
Current standard diagnostic practice of bacterial infections by visual inspection under white light is subjective, and microbiological sampling is suboptimal due to high false negative rates and the lengthy time needed for culture results to arrive. The MolecuLight i:X Imaging Device attempts to combat the issues faced in standard practice by providing a non-contact, real-time method of visualising bacteria within wounds. Our aim was to test this imaging device in a series of patients … read more