Intraabdominal Lavage of Hypochlorous Acid: A New Paradigm for the Septic and Open Abdomen.

INTRODUCTION: Management of the open abdomen (OA) has rapidly evolved over the last several decades due to the improved understanding of the underlying pathophysiology of patients with an OA, adoption of damage control surgery, and the use of temporary abdominal closure (TAC) techniques for this patient population. The TAC utilizing negative pressure has been successful for managing patients with an OA with improved time to closure. Recent studies have started to examine the use of TAC in conjunction with negative pressure wound therapy with instillation and dwell time (NPWTi-d) for the management of the OA. OBJECTIVE: This case series illustrates the capability, safety, and clinical effectiveness of TAC/NPWTi-d with hypochlorous acid (HOCl) solution. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Three successfully treated cases describe the use of NPWTi-d using HOCl solution for the management of patients with a septic OA. RESULTS: This initial experience suggests instillation of HOCl through the tubing set, in conjunction with the TAC device, is safe and easy to use. This technique decreased the need for more frequent OA lavages in the operating room (OR) after the index procedure, as well as the associated concomitant risks of transporting patients who are critically ill between the SICU and OR. No acute complications related to the TAC device with HOCl were noted. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the results of this study, the authors believe instillation through the TAC device may be the next evolution in the use of abdominal NPWT and programmed intermittent lavage of the peritoneal cavity represents an effective method in the care of patients with a septic OA.

Zinc pyrithione in alcohol-based products for skin antisepsis: persistence of antimicrobial effects.

Alcohol-based products for skin antisepsis have a long history of safety and efficacy in the United States and abroad. However, alcohol alone lacks the required antimicrobial persistence to provide for the sustained periods of skin antisepsis desired in the clinical environment. Therefore, alcohol-based products must have a preservative agent such as iodine/iodophor compounds, chlorhexidine gluconate, or zinc pyrithione, to extend its antimicrobial effects. Iodine, iodophors, and chlorhexidine gluconate are well-characterized antimicrobials and preservatives. The thrust of our effort was to examine the characteristics of the lesser-known zinc pyrithione and to evaluate its utility as a preservative in the formulation of alcohol-based products for skin antisepsis. This work includes a literature review of current zinc pyrithione applications in drugs and cosmetics, a safety and toxicity evaluation, consideration of the proposed mechanisms of antimicrobial action, in vitro and in vivo efficacy data, and a discussion of the mechanisms that confer the desired antimicrobial persistence. In addition, alcohol-based, zinc pyrithione-preserved, commercially available products of skin antisepsis are compared with other commercially available antimicrobials used for skin antisepsis and with additional alcohol-based products with different preservatives. The authors' conclusion is that zinc pyrithione is not only a safe and effective antimicrobial but that its use in certain alcohol-based formulations results in antimicrobial efficacy exceeding that of iodine and chlorhexidine gluconate.

A unique water optional health care personnel handwash provides antimicrobial persistence and residual effects while decreasing the need for additional products.

BACKGROUND: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has published guidelines for hand hygiene practices, recommending a handwash regimen that alternates between waterless alcohol products and antimicrobial or nonantimicrobial soap and water. The advent of an alcohol-based product that can be used with or without water (ie, water optional) to decontaminate the hands while providing immediacy of kill and antimicrobial persistence could reduce the confusion associated with handwash guidelines. Such a product has been developed, is alcohol-based (61%), and zinc pyrithione (ZPT) preserved (61% alcohol-ZPT) and has proven to be fully compliant with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and CDC guidelines. METHODS: FDA-required testing of the 61% alcohol-ZPT product for the health care personnel handwash indication was performed as outlined in the Tentative Final Monograph (TFM) for Health-Care Antiseptic Drug Products, employing waterless and water-aided product applications. It was next assessed for antimicrobial persistence and residual effects by comparing it, in separate waterless and water-aided applications, with commonly available handwashes containing various antimicrobials in a 5-day study employing 49 subjects, in which samples were collected immediately and at 4 hours and 8 hours postapplication. The skin conditioning properties of this formulation were investigated via appropriate methods. RESULTS: The 61% alcohol-ZPT product easily produced >3.0 log 10 reduction in the indicator strain ( Serratia marcescens ) following the first wash, exceeding the 2.0 log 10 FDA requirement. This level of performance was maintained through the tenth wash, surpassing the 3.0 log 10 FDA requirement for the handwash indication. For the assessment of persistence and residual effect in the waterless mode, the water-optional, 61% alcohol-ZPT product consistently produced log 10 reductions of nearly 3.5 or greater at every point over the entire study period. In the water-aided configuration, similar results were obtained as log 10 reductions of 2.5 were observed. The formulation is nonirritating, actually contributing to hand skin condition. CONCLUSIONS: The 61% alcohol-ZPT product exceeds all FDA criteria for the health care personnel handwash indication and is a significant advancement in the concept of skin antisepsis. It represents a single product suitable for use in all hand hygiene settings, demonstrating improved antimicrobial persistence and residual effects. The 61% alcohol-ZPT formulation contributes positively to overall hand conditioning, and a previously reported study has documented it to be virucidal for several DNA and RNA viruses.

A systems approach to preoperative surgical patient skin preparation.

BACKGROUND: The merits of a systems approach to preoperative surgical patient skin preparation are presented. A "system" may be defined as the addition of an antiseptic bath(s) or shower(s) within 24 hours before the application of a Food and Drug Administration-compliant patient preoperative skin preparation at the time of surgery. The expected outcome from this added effort is a further reduction in the transient and normal flora that contaminate the skin surrounding the operative site, and contribute to surgical infections. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended the addition of this step to the preoperative site preparation regimen. METHODS: A human in vivo study comparing an alcohol-based (ethanol) system to an iodine-based approach, and 2 sets of clinical observations, are presented here. RESULTS: The data confirm the utility of the systems approach. The in vivo study demonstrates that significant reductions (> or =2 log(10)) in normal and transient flora can be achieved quickly and maintained out to 72 hours after the surgery, allowing for wound closure in a prolonged state of skin antisepsis. Clinical observations support the in vivo findings. After initiation of the system, the infection rates for the monitored procedures have decreased. CONCLUSIONS: The data presented here delineate the merits of a systems approach to preoperative surgical patient skin preparation. This approach has a positive impact on infection rates and may reduce the additional costs associated with this preventable event.

Development of a health care personnel handwash with 6-hour persistence.

BACKGROUND: Health care handwashes/sanitizers help prevent the spread of infection. Many are alcohol-based, providing immediate microbial kill. Few contain persistence factors for residual antimicrobial effects. We conducted multiple studies on Viacydin-Containing Alcohol Sanitizer (VCAS) to evaluate antimicrobial properties and skin friendliness. METHODS: The potential of VCAS to cause use related skin problems was examined by repeated applications over a 3-week period. Excessive handwashing compared effects of VCAS on the skin barrier with that of other handwash products. Antimicrobial range, immediate kill rates, and resistance development were assessed as was the potential for continued antimicrobial activity over an extended period following product use. RESULTS: Our data showed the VCAS formula has broad, rapid antimicrobial efficacy without promoting microbial resistance. VCAS is mild to skin. Antimicrobial persistence testing showed that VCAS remained effective up to 6 hours postapplication. CONCLUSION: VCAS was superior to or at parity with on-market products, exhibited substantial residual effects and persistence up to 6 hours, and was safe and well tolerated. These results provide strong evidence for the value of VCAS to help prevent and eliminate pathogen contamination of the hands.