We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress
Sign In
Advertise with Us

Download Mobile App




Bioactive Phosphate Glasses Eradicate Nosocomial Bacteria

By HospiMedica International staff writers
Posted on 15 Apr 2019
Print article
Image: Bioactive glass laced with Cobalt can kill bacterial pathogens (Photo courtesy of Aston University).
Image: Bioactive glass laced with Cobalt can kill bacterial pathogens (Photo courtesy of Aston University).
A new study describes how degradable bioactive phosphate glasses could be used as an antimicrobial delivery system, releasing biologically significant ions in a controlled manner.

Researchers at Aston University (Birmingham, United Kingdom), the University of Birmingham (UB; United Kingdom), and other institutions used a centuries-old glass staining technique to lace glace with varying concentrations of cobalt, which are then ground to a fine powder. The bioactive glasses provide a controlled release of antimicrobial ions as they dissolve; at the highest concentration, the glass completely eradicated E. coli in a Petri dish in six hours, C. albicans within 24 hours, and S. aureus levels were reduced by 99% after 24 hours.

The cobalt oxide ions cause strong, time dependent, and strain specific antimicrobial activity of the glasses against microorganisms when in direct contact, causing bacterial cell wall membranes to burst. The metallic ions also leach out of the glass, killing bacteria not in direct contact, but to a lesser degree. In other studies, similar anti-bacterial qualities have been observed in bioactive glasses laced with other metals, including copper, zinc, and silver. The study was published in the January 2019 issue of ACS Biomaterials Science and Engineering.

“With the rise of antimicrobial resistance, these glasses have the potential to radically transform how we guard against common hospital infections, because if we can stop the bacteria from multiplying it negates the need for heavy doses of antibiotics,” said senior author Richard Martin, PhD, of Aston University. “This would be good news for patients, who would be at a much-reduced risk of contracting a potentially life-threatening infection during a hospital stay, but also good for healthcare systems, which could make more judicious use of antibiotics and prevent costly unplanned hospital stays.”

Hospital acquired infections (HAIs) are defined as those occurring 48 hours after admission, within three days of discharge, or within 30 days of surgery. They can be caused by organisms lurking on the bodies or clothing of healthcare workers and on hospital surfaces such as doorknobs, curtains, and furniture. Resistant bacteria such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), erythromycin-resistant Enterococcus, and carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae acerbate the problem.

Related Links:
Aston University
University of Birmingham

Gold Member
STI Test
Vivalytic Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) Array
Gold Member
POC Blood Gas Analyzer
Stat Profile Prime Plus
Silver Member
Wireless Mobile ECG Recorder
NR-1207-3/NR-1207-E
New
Infant Blood Draw Station
Infant Blood Draw Station

Print article

Channels

Surgical Techniques

view channel
Image: NTT and Olympus have begun the world\'s first joint demonstration experiment of a cloud endoscopy system (Photo courtesy of Olympus)

Cloud Endoscopy System Enables Real-Time Image Processing on the Cloud

Endoscopes, which are flexible tubes inserted into the body's natural openings for internal examination and biopsy collection, are becoming increasingly vital in medical diagnostics. Their minimal invasiveness... Read more

Patient Care

view channel
Image: The newly-launched solution can transform operating room scheduling and boost utilization rates (Photo courtesy of Fujitsu)

Surgical Capacity Optimization Solution Helps Hospitals Boost OR Utilization

An innovative solution has the capability to transform surgical capacity utilization by targeting the root cause of surgical block time inefficiencies. Fujitsu Limited’s (Tokyo, Japan) Surgical Capacity... Read more

Health IT

view channel
Image: First ever institution-specific model provides significant performance advantage over current population-derived models (Photo courtesy of Mount Sinai)

Machine Learning Model Improves Mortality Risk Prediction for Cardiac Surgery Patients

Machine learning algorithms have been deployed to create predictive models in various medical fields, with some demonstrating improved outcomes compared to their standard-of-care counterparts.... Read more

Point of Care

view channel
Image: The PATHFAST hs-cTnI-II high-sensitivity troponin assay has been developed for the PATHFAST Biomarker Analyzer (Photo courtesy of Polymedco)

POC Myocardial Infarction Test Delivers Results in 17 Minutes

Chest pain is the second leading cause of emergency department (ED) visits by adults in the United States, generating over 7 million visits annually. In the event of a suspected heart attack, physicians... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2024 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.