Irritative potency of selected wound antiseptics in the hen's egg test on chorioallantoic membrane to predict their compatibility to wounds.

Antiseptics are being used for prevention of infections in acute wounds and for treatment of infections in acute and chronic wounds. However, some antiseptics' high tissue toxicity might delay the healing process. The aim of this study was to investigate the tissue toxicity of preferentially used wound antiseptics and the influence of antiphlogistic additives via the hen's egg test on the chorioallantoic membrane (HET-CAM).

Shortening the Application Time of Alcohol-Based Hand Rubs to 15 Seconds May Improve the Frequency of Hand Antisepsis Actions in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

BACKGROUND For alcohol-based hand rubs, the currently recommended application time of 30 seconds is longer than the actual time spent in clinical practice. We investigated whether a shorter application time of 15 seconds is microbiologically safe in neonatal intensive care and may positively influence compliance with the frequency of hand antisepsis actions. METHODS We conducted in vitro experiments to determine the antimicrobial efficacy of hand rubs within 15 seconds, followed by clinical observations to assess the effect of a shortened hand antisepsis procedure under clinical conditions in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

Proposed phase 2/ step 2 in-vitro test on basis of EN 14561 for standardised testing of the wound antiseptics PVP-iodine, chlorhexidine digluconate, polihexanide and octenidine dihydrochloride.

Background: Currently, there is no agreed standard for exploring the antimicrobial activity of wound antiseptics in a phase 2/ step 2 test protocol. In the present study, a standardised in-vitro test is proposed, which allows to test potential antiseptics in a more realistically simulation of conditions found in wounds as in a suspension test. Furthermore, factors potentially influencing test results such as type of materials used as test carrier or various compositions of organic soil challenge were investigated in detail.

Consensus statement: patient safety, healthcare-associated infections and hospital environmental surfaces.

Healthcare-associated infections have serious implications for both patients and hospitals. Environmental surface contamination is the key to transmission of nosocomial pathogens. Routine manual cleaning and disinfection eliminates visible soil and reduces environmental bioburden and risk of transmission, but may not address some surface contamination.

New strategies for preoperative skin antisepsis.

During the past decades, encouraging progress has been made in the prevention of surgical site infections (SSI). However, as SSI still occur today, strategic prevention measures such as standardized skin antisepsis must be implemented and rigorously promoted. Recent discoveries in skin physiology necessitate the development of novel antiseptic agents and procedures in order to ameliorate their efficacy.

Interaction of polyhexamethylene biguanide hydrochloride (PHMB) with phosphatidylcholine containing o/w emulsion and consequences for microbicidal efficacy and cytotoxicity.

Oil-in-water (o/w) emulsions containing egg yolk phosphatidylcholine (EPC) were combined with aqueous polyhexamethylene biguanide hydrochloride (PHMB). The PHMB concentration in the aqueous phase was estimated by filtration centrifugation experiments. In parallel, PHMB concentration was assessed utilizing cytotoxicity assays (neutral red) on cultured murine fibroblasts (L929 cells) and tests of bactericidal efficacy on either Pseudomonas aeruginosa or Staphylococcus aureus.

Evaluation of the PotoClean(®) decontamination technology for reprocessing of water supply lines in dental units during routine work.

Background: A frequent problem in dental units is the microbial contamination of water and biofilm formation in the water supply lines. After random identification of a bacterial contaminated dental unit (310 cfu/ml) in a practise with 3 dental units we implemented the present study to evaluate the efficacy of the PotoClean(®) technology, based on anodic oxidation.

Method: The efficacy of a regular low concentrated permanent decontamination (1 mg Cl/L) with an additional intensive decontamination by PotoClean(®) (three times 20 mg Cl/ml for 2 h) on three dental units was tested over 7 months.

Decontamination of room air and adjoining wall surfaces by nebulizing hydrogen peroxide.

Aim: In 2010, the ASP GLOSAIR(TM) 400 was introduced in Germany for nebulizing hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)). Since there were no results of practical experience, the new method was to be checked under practical conditions for its effectiveness in decontaminating air in rooms, infested with mold after water damage and, at the same time, under experimentally controlled conditions, test surfaces, contaminated with Aspergillus brasiliensis.

Method: After the nebulizer was used in two rooms with a massive mold infestation, the air colony count was determined (MAS-100(®) Zinsser Analytik) and, at the same time, the mold infestation in samples of wall plaster.

Minimum inhibitory (MIC) and minimum microbicidal concentration (MMC) of polihexanide and triclosan against antibiotic sensitive and resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli strains.

Background: An in-vitro study was conducted investigating the antimicrobial efficacy of polihexanide and triclosan against clinical isolates and reference laboratory strains of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli.

Methods: The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the minimal microbicidal concentration (MMC) were determined following DIN 58940-81 using a micro-dilution assay and a quantitative suspension test following EN 1040. Polihexanide was tested in polyethylene glycol 4000, triclosan in aqueous solutions.

Reduced cytotoxicity of polyhexamethylene biguanide hydrochloride (PHMB) by egg phosphatidylcholine while maintaining antimicrobial efficacy.

Liposomes or oil-in-water emulsions containing egg yolk phosphatidylcholine (EPC) were combined with aqueous polyhexamethylene biguanide hydrochloride (PHMB). The bactericidal activity of these preparations against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus as well as their cytotoxicity on cultured murine fibroblasts (L929 cells) was then assayed for either 30 min or 60 min in the presence of cell culture medium containing 10% fetal bovine serum as surrogate for wound fluid. We used two assay designs: in the first bactericidal activity and cytotoxicity were determined in separate experiments; in the second both were determined in one experiment.

Results of a field study on the influence of HygienicWood mattress toppers on the number of mites in bed dust and the state of health of people with house dust mite allergies.

Objectives: So far, there has been no practical or toxicologically non-hazardous way to decimate mites - without interrupting use of beds - in their main reservoir on bed mattresses to such an extent that the allergic condtion of people suffering from house dust mite allergies is reduced or even remedied. As so-called HygienicWood was effective against mites under simulated conditions, the influence of a mattress topper filled with HygienicWood chips on the content of mite antigen Der p1 was to be investigated and the influence on the state of health of the persons concerned analysed at the same time.

Procedure: 32 test persons suffering from dust mite allergy were randomly selected.

Genome-wide mRNA profiling in glucose starved Bacillus subtilis cells.

In this study global changes in gene expression were monitored in Bacillus subtilis cells entering stationary growth phase owing to starvation for glucose. Gene expression was analysed in growing and starving cells at different time points by full-genome mRNA profiling using DNA macroarrays. During the transition to stationary phase we observed extensive reprogramming of gene expression, with approximately 1,000 genes being strongly repressed and approximately 900 strongly up-regulated in a time-dependent manner.