Title
Debridement of Biofilm By Cold-Atmospheric Plasma Within A Porcine Wound Model
Document Type
Student Presentation
Presentation Date
April 2017
Faculty Sponsor
Julia Oxford
Abstract
The number of patients impacted by chronic wounds is currently on the rise with more than a million patients affected each year. The healing time of chronic wounds can be greatly impacted by the buildup of a layer of bacteria called biofilm. Biofilms are resistant to antibiotics and require physical debridement to resolve the wound. The newly emerging field of plasma medicine is aiding in the fight to treat chronic wounds through the use of cold-atmospheric plasmas (CAP). It has been shown that CAP, the fourth state of matter, is capable of killing most bacteria present within biofilm.Our research serves to examine the eradicating effects of CAP on biofilm within a porcine model. To study such effects, 0.5 cm wide wounds were made in a small portion of pig ear. The wounds were inoculated with 50 pL of bacteria Staphylococcus aureus to produce biofilm. After 24 hours of exposure, the pig ears were treated with CAP for varying lengths of time (i.e. 1, 2, and 5 minutes) to investigate the amount of bacteria eradicated. Through our research of plasma as a therapeutic treatment source, CAP can be utilized to aid in the combat against chronic wounds.
Recommended Citation
Benfield, Kate; Saldivar, Steven; and Paules Aldrey, Arianna, "Debridement of Biofilm By Cold-Atmospheric Plasma Within A Porcine Wound Model" (2017). 2017 Undergraduate Research and Scholarship Conference.
https://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/as_17/58