Researchers at the Boston-based hospital used microsecond-pulsed, high-voltage, nonthermal electric fields to successfully kill resistant bacteria in induced burns in mice. The researchers had applied a resistant strain of Acinetobacter baumannii to the burns.
“Pulsed electrical field technology has the advantages of targeting numerous bacterial species and penetrating the full thickness of a wound,” said Alexander Goldberg, PhD, the paper’s lead author with MGH Center for Engineering Medicine, in a news release. “This could lead to a completely new means of burn wound disinfection without using antibiotics, which can increase bacterial resistance.”
About half a million people are treated for burns every year in the U.S. Using this type of technology could be the answer to the growing, difficult-to-solve problem of multidrug-resistant burn wound infection, according to Martin Yarmush, MD, PhD, director of the MCH-CEM.
More Articles on Infection Control:
Fighting Fire With Fire: When an Antibiotic Can Help Fight Antibiotic Resistance
Patient Safety Tool: AHRQ CRE Control and Prevention Toolkit
Multi-Drug-Resistant Organism Infections Fall 20% Following UV Environmental Disinfection
At the Becker's 11th Annual IT + Revenue Cycle Conference: The Future of AI & Digital Health, taking place September 14–17 in Chicago, healthcare executives and digital leaders from across the country will come together to explore how AI, interoperability, cybersecurity, and revenue cycle innovation are transforming care delivery, strengthening financial performance, and driving the next era of digital health. Apply for complimentary registration now.
