Dressing Material with Original Antimicrobial Polymer Gel for Infected Wounds Treatment in an Experiment

Wound infection has a negative impact on the course of the wound healing process, slowing down tissue reparation, reducing the patient's quality of life, and increasing economic costs. Ineffective eradication of the pathogen can lead to chronic inflammation and expansion of the tissue damage area, therefore early detection and treatment of wound infection promotes faster healing, reducing the incidence of adverse effects. Aim. To evaluate the possibility of using the original polymer antimicrobial gel as part of a dressing and its effect on the healing of staphylococcal-infected wounds in vivo. Materials and methods. A polymer composition based on polyvinylpyrrolidone containing dioxidine and gentamicin (RU2822155C1) was applied to medical material. The obtained samples were lyophilized, sterilized, and their antibacterial activity against S. aureus ATCC 29213 was determined. The in vivo study was carried out on 12 rats, to which an infected skin defect was applied. The animals were taken out on the 3rd, 7th, and 10th days of the experiment; wound contamination was monitored, and tissue blocks were removed for histological examination. Results. The dressing with the original gel was characterized by the presence of significant antibacterial properties against S. aureus ATCC 29213, while the activity of the samples was preserved after lyophilization, sterilization, and storage for 1.5 years. During the in vivo experiment, the growth of S. aureus was not recorded in animals of the experimental group as soon as on the third day from the start of the experiment, while in animals of the control group, S. aureus was isolated at all observation periods. Morphological examination showed acceleration of wound cleansing, relief of purulent inflammation, as well as an earlier onset of reparation processes in the wounds of animals of the experimental group. Conclusion. The effectiveness of the developed antimicrobial wound dressings in stopping the acute staphylococcal infectious process, taking into account the traumatization of the wound surface and good biocompatibility, allow us to consider promising further studies of the possibilities of using the studied materials in the treatment of acute infectious process, as well as in the treatment of chronic wounds.