A Highly Efficacious Electrical Biofilm Treatment System for Combating Chronic Wound Bacterial Infections

Biofilm infection has a high prevalence in chronic wounds and can delay wound healing. Current treatment using debridement and antibiotic administration imposes a significant burden on patients and healthcare systems. To address their limitations, a highly efficacious electrical antibiofilm treatment system is described in this paper. This system uses high-intensity current (75 mA cm(-2)) to completely debride biofilm above the wound surface and enhance antibiotic delivery into biofilm-infected wounds simultaneously. Combining these two effects, this system uses short treatments (<= 2 h) to reduce bacterial count of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) biofilm-infected ex vivo skin wounds from 10(10) to 10(5.2) colony-forming units (CFU) g(-1). Taking advantage of the hydrogel ionic circuit design, this system enhances the in vivo safety of high-intensity current application compared to conventional devices. The in vivo antibiofilm efficacy of the system is tested using a diabetic mouse-based wound infection model. MRSA biofilm bacterial count decreases from 10(9.0) to 10(4.6) CFU g(-1) at 1 day post-treatment and to 10(3.3) CFU g(-1) at 7 days post-treatment, both of which are below the clinical threshold for infection. Overall, this novel technology provides a quick, safe, yet highly efficacious treatment to chronic wound biofilm infections.

Automated summary

Biofilm infection in chronic wounds is common and delays wound healing. This paper describes a highly effective electrical antibiofilm treatment system that uses high-intensity current to debride biofilm and enhance antibiotic delivery. The system reduces bacterial count of MRSA biofilm-infected ex vivo skin wounds and demonstrates in vivo antibiofilm efficacy in a diabetic mouse-based wound infection model. This novel technology provides a quick, safe, and highly efficacious treatment for chronic wound biofilm infections.