Eradication of Wound Biofilms by Electrical Stimulation - Antibiofilm Agents: From Diagnosis to Treatment and Prevention - page 414

Eradication of Wound Biofilms by Electrical
Stimulation
Chase Watters and Matt Kay
Abstract Chronic wounds are a major clinical health problem, costing billions of
dollars and plaguing millions of people worldwide with increased morbidity and
mortality. Treatment of these wound infections is complex and can take months to
years. The length and difficulty of treating these wounds are largely attributed to the
presence of biofilms created by common microbiological contaminants in the
wounded area. Since multidrug-resistant bacterial biofilms persist in these wounds,
the biofilms are able to dodge the “magic” antibiotic bullet. Without the aid of
antimicrobials to fight off these infections, novel antimicrobials are essential.
Recently, the physical sciences have been mined for alternatives to antibiotics.
One such promising alternative therapy is the use of electrical stimulation devices
to speed the wound healing process. There are three forms of electrical stimulation
predominately utilized to treat chronic wound infections: low-intensity direct
current, high-voltage pulsed current, and alternating current. The use of these
various forms of electrical stimulation is proposed to enhance wound healing via
the stimulation of host cells and by inhibiting bacterial biofilm growth. This chapter
focuses on studies examining electrical stimulation in conjunction with host and
bacterial cells, along with relevant clinical trial studies.