Usually, if doctors want to know whether the infected wound of a patient, the process takes 24 hours. Unfortunately, a lot can go wrong during that time. Thanks to a new process developed at the University of Washington, infections in wounds will soon be able to be detected in less than a minute.
At this stage doctors must take a sample from the wound, and then leave it in the Petri dish throughout the day to see if there is any bacterial culture. And during that time, if the infection is not treated.
One option is the introduction of broad-spectrum antibiotics until laboratory results. If you find that there is no infection, the medicine was given in vain, and patients may unnecessarily be exposed to side effects, and activates the resistance of bacteria to antibiotics.
Instead, the team led by Dr. Victoria Sangam uses cheap disposable electrochemical sensor to find harmful bacteria in the wounds for several seconds. More specifically, the researchers used a device for detection of the pyocyanin molecules produced by the bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa, commonly found in chronic wounds.
In tests, the sensor successfully detected the presence of bacteria with an accuracy of 71 percent, and the discovery of his absence was exactly 57 percent. It is hoped that the technology will be further developed, these indicators will improve significantly.
“The ability to detect Pseudomonas and other infective organisms during clinic visits will greatly enhance our ability to care for patients,” says Sangam. “We should not wait for culture results before deciding about antibiotics, and this will allow us to better tailor therapy for our patients.”
