Comparison of silver-coated dressing (Acticoat (TM)), chlorhexidine acetate 0.5% (Bactigrass((R))), and fusidic acid 2% (Fucidin((R))) for topical antibacterial effect in methicillin-resistant Staphylococci-contaminated, full-skin thickness rat burn wounds

Acticoat (TM), chlorhexidine acetate 0.5%, and fusidic acid 2% were compared to assess the antibacterial effect of an application on experimental 15% BSA, full-thickness burn wounds in rats swabbed 24 h earlier with a 10(8) standard strain of methicillin-resistant Staphylococci

Comparison of silver-coated dressing (Acticoat (TM)), chlorhexidine acetate 0.5% (Bactigrass((R))), and silver sulfadiazine 1% (Silverdin((R))) for topical antibacterial effect in Pseudomonas aeruginosa-contaminated, full-skin thickness burn wounds in rats

Acticoat (TM) (Smith and Nephew, Istanbul, Turkey), chlorhexidine acetate 0.5%, and silver sulfadiazine 1% were compared to assess the antibacterial effect of their application on experimental burn wounds in contaminated with Pseudomonas aeruginosa in rats. All treatment modalities were effective against P. aeruginosa because there were significant differences between treatment groups and control groups. The mean eschar concentrations did not differ significantly between Acticoat (TM) and chlorhexidine acetate groups, but there were significant differences between the silver sulfadiazine group and the other treatment groups, indicating that silver sulfadiazine significantly eliminated P. aeruginosa more effectively in the tissues than did the other two agents. All treatment modalities were sufficient to prevent the P. aeruginosa from invading to the muscle and from causing systemic infection. In conclusion, silver sulfadiazine is the most effective agent in the treatment of the P. aeruginosa-contaminated burn wounds; Acticoat (TM) can be considered as a treatment choice because of its peculiar ability of limiting the frequency of replacing wound dressings

Comparison of silver sulfadiazine 1%, mupirocin 2%, and fusidic acid 2% for topical antibacterial effect in methicillin-resistant staphylococci-infected, full-skin thickness rat burn wounds

Silver sulfadiazine 1%, mupirocin 2%, and fusidic acid 2% were compared to assess the antibacterial effect of a once-daily application on experimental rat 15% full-skin thickness burn wounds seeded 24 hours earlier with a 10(8) standard strain of methicillin-resistant staphylococci. The quantitative counts of seeded organism in burn eschar and subjacent muscle were determined at postburn day 7, beside the cultures of blood and lung biopsies. All tested topical agents were equally effective against methicillin- resistant Staphylococcus aureus in reducing local burn wound bacterial count and preventing systemic infection

The evaluation of nosocomial infection during 1-year-period in the burn unit of a training hospital in Istanbul, Turkey

An analysis of the burned patients, admitted to our eight bed burn unit and treated between 1 January and 31 December 2000, was performed. Prevalence, etiologic agents, length of hospitalization, cost of treatment and mortality rates caused by nosocomial infections (NIs) were studied. The study included 63 patients. Eighteen of these (Group-A) had 24 NI episodes. The most common NI observed was burn-wound infection (58.3%), followed by bacteraemia-sepsis (16.7%). NIs were not detected in the rest at all (Group B). The mean length of hospitalization was 38.5 +/- 19.7 days in Group A, and 20.3 +/- 7.6 days in Group B. The mean total burned surface area (TBSA) was 43 +/- 21 in Group A and 29 +/- 18 in Group B, while the most important independent risk factor for NI was TBSA in burned patients (OR, 1.08; CI95, 0.93-1.24). NI prolonged the mean hospital stay to 18 days and increased the cost of treatment by US$ 502. The most common bacteria isolated was Pseudomonas aeruginosa (41.7%) and the second was methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA-25.0%). All of the NI-free patients survived, while, five (28.5%) patients with NI died (P < 0.01)