A patch that hits the skin with electrical pulses may be used before or after surgery for prevention Bacteria On the skin from causing blood poisoning, which reduces our dependence on antibiotics.
Staphylococcus epidermidis The bacteria usually live harmlessly on human skin, but if they enter the body after surgery or through broken skin due to conditions such as psoriasis, It can cause bloodstream infectionswhich may lead to a dangerous drop in blood pressure.
Antibiotics These infections can be prevented and treated, but this has led to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains S. epidermis Emerging. And looking for another approach, Busi Tian at the University of Chicago and his colleagues looked at the potential of electrical impulses, Which has previously been shown to kill bacteria.
The researchers created square plastic patches about a millimeter across, each containing gold electrodes that, when connected to wires, produce electrical pulses that people cannot feel. Then they published a strain of S. epidermis On five samples of disinfected pigs leather Place a patch over each piece.
After rubbing the skin for 10 seconds every 10 minutes for 18 hours, the team found this S. epidermis Their levels were reduced 10-fold in these samples compared to other samples that were patched but did not deliver electrical pulses.
The intervention also disrupted the ability of bacteria to join together to form a layer called biofilm, which has been linked to more serious infections.
The findings suggest that the patches, which can theoretically be cut to any size, could reduce the risk of developing serious drug resistance. S. epidermis Infection, Tian says.
Widespread use of antibiotics is leading to increased drug resistance, he says, and this alternative approach could help slow the crisis Minehiro Hazel At the University of Warwick, United Kingdom. But he says it’s unclear how the spots might affect other bacteria on the skin that can also cause blood poisoning.
Tian’s team plans to explore this through further studies, and hopes to test this approach in live animals within about a year.
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(Signs for translation) Skin
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