In Vitro Susceptibility of Important Skin and Wound Pathogens Against Low Temperature Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Jet (APPJ) and Dielectric Barrier Discharge Plasma (DBD)

Abstract

AbstractPlasma medicine has become an emerging field in medical sciences since cold plasma has demonstrated anti‐inflammatory, anti‐tumor as well as antimicrobial effects. In the light of increasing resistance of many pathogens like methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) to a multitude of antimicrobial therapies cold plasma therapy with complete different modes of action could constitute an alternative to conventional external antibiotic and antiseptic therapies. As plasma susceptibility data of human skin and wound pathogens are not available, the susceptibility of 105 typical isolates from dermatologic patients' wounds to low temperature atmospheric pressure plasma (APPJ device) and dielectric barrier discharge plasma device are tested in vitro. Plasma treatment proved to be highly effective in eradicating all (n = 105) strains including Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella group (K. pneumoniae ssp. pneumoniae, K. oxytoca), S. aureus, hemolysing Lancefield Streptococci (group A and B), Proteus group (P. mirabilis, P. vulgaris), Acinetobacter spp., Stenotrophomonas spp., Enterococcus faecalis, Candida albicans and Staphylococcus epidermidis. In conclusion, cold plasma treatment exhibited strong and rapid antimicrobial effects against clinical most relevant skin and wound pathogens in vitro. Cold plasma may constitute an effective alternative to antiseptics in the attempt to eradicate skin and wound pathogens.magnified image