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The effects of an occlusive zinc medicated dressing on the bacterial flora in excised wounds in the rat

Wirkung eines zinkhaltigen okklusiven Wundverbandes auf die bakterielle Besiedelung von Exzisionswunden bei der Ratte

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Summary

The effects of three different dressings — two occlusive and one non-occlusive — on the bacterial flora of excised wounds in rats were studied. The number of colony forming units per gram of granulation tissue were significantly lower 4, 8 and 12 days postoperatively in wounds treated with a zinc medicated occlusive dressing compared with wounds treated with non-zinc medicated occlusive hydrocolloid dressing or wet-to-dry non-occlusive gauze dressing. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of zinc sulphate was determined on different strains of bacteria isolated from the wounds of rats and on strains isolated from humans. The most susceptible species isolated from both rat wounds and humans wereStreptococcus sp.,Staphylococcus aureus andEscherichia coli; whereas,Proteus andEnterococcus sp. had higher MIC-values.In vitro, the hydrocolloid dressing disclosed no antibacterial effects. If the practitioner prefers an occlusive dressing we believe, due to our animal andin vitro experiments, that the zinc medicated occlusive dressing will reduce the risk of wound infection in man.

Zusamenfassung

Die Wirkung von zwei verschiedenen Wundverbänden — zwei okklusiven und zwei nicht okklusiven — auf die bakterielle Besiedelung von Exzisionswunden wurde bei der Ratte untersucht. Bei Wunden, die mit einem zinkhaltigen Okklusivverband behandelt worden waren, war die Zahl der Koloniebildner pro Gramm Granulationsgewebe am 4., 8. und 12. postoperativen Tag signifikant geringer als bei Wunden, die mit einem Hydrokolloid-Okklusivverband ohne Zink oder feucht-trockenen Verbänden mit Wundgaze behandelt worden waren. Für verschiedene Bakterien, die aus den Wunden bei Ratten isoliert sowie für Stämme, die aus menschlichem Material angezüchtet worden waren, wurden die minimalen Hemmkonzentrationen von Zinksulfat bestimmt.Streptococcus sp.,Staphylococcus aureus undEscherichia coli von Rattenwunden wie auch die menschlichen Isolate dieser Spezies waren am empfindlichsten,Proteus undEnterococcus sp. wiesen höhere MHK-Werte auf. Der Hydrokolloid-Wundverband zeigtein vitro keinerlei antibakterielle Wirksamkeit. Wenn in der Praxis okklusive Wundverbände angewandt werden, ist nach unserer Erfahrung mit Tierversuchen undIn-vitro-Experimenten das Wundinfektionsrisiko beim Menschen durch Verwendung eines zinkhaltigen Wundverbandes geringer als bei Verbänden ohne Zink.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Hand- and Plastic Surgery, University Hospital of Umeå, S-901 85, Umeå

    T. Söderberg M.D.

  2. Department of Pathology, University Hospital of Umeå, S-901 85, Umeå

    G. Hallmans M.D. Ph.D.

  3. Department of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, S-581 85, Linköping

    M. Ågren M.Sc.

  4. Department of Surgery and Experimental Research, Malmö General Hospital, S-214 01, Malmö

    I. Tengrup M.D., Ph.D.

  5. Department of Clinical Bacteriology, Malmö General Hospital, S-214 01, Malmö

    G. Banck M.D. Ph.D.

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  1. T. Söderberg M.D.
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  2. G. Hallmans M.D. Ph.D.
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  3. M. Ågren M.Sc.
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  4. I. Tengrup M.D., Ph.D.
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  5. G. Banck M.D. Ph.D.
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Söderberg, T., Hallmans, G., Ågren, M. et al. The effects of an occlusive zinc medicated dressing on the bacterial flora in excised wounds in the rat. Infection 17, 81–85 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01646881

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