Effects of three different topical antibacterial dressings on Acinetobacter baumannii-contaminated full-thickness burns in rats Fatih Uygur a, *, Oral O ¨ ncu ¨l b , Rahmi Evinc ¸ a , Hu ¨ srev Diktas b , Ali Acar b , Ersin U ¨ lku ¨r a a Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and Burn Unit, Gu ¨lhane Military Medical Academy and Medical Faculty, Haydarpas ¸a Training Hospital, Selimiye Mahallesi Tıbbiye Caddesi 34 668, U ¨ sku ¨ dar, Istanbul, Turkey b Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Gu ¨lhane Military Medical Academy and Medical Faculty, Haydarpas ¸a Training Hospital, Selimiye Mahallesi Tıbbiye Caddesi 34 668, U ¨ sku ¨ dar, Istanbul, Turkey 1. Introduction Although advances in burn care have reduced mortality rates, burn infections remain a major problem [1–3]. Acinetobacter baumannii is one of the most important microorganisms found in burn units and has become increasingly common recently [4–6], colonising particularly the wounds of critically injured burn victims and causing persistent infections which lead to loss of skin graft and prevent wound healing. Unresolved wound infection can result in systemic spread of A. baumannii, associated with increasing resistance to conventional theur- apeutic agents and septic complications [7–10]. Because systemic antibiotics are ineffective in reducing bacterial counts in granulation wounds, the use of a suitable topical antibacterial agent may substantially decrease wound sepsis and benefit overall management [11]. The actions of topical 1% silver sulfadiazine and of topical 5% mafenide acetate in Acinetobacter starins wound infection have been investigated previously [12,13]. In this study, the efficiency of 1% silver sulphadiazine (SS; Silverdin, Deva, Istanbul,Turkey), Acti- coat TM (AC; Smith and Nephew, Istanbul, Turkey) and 0.5% chlorhexidine (CA; Bactigrass, Smith and Nephew, Istanbul, Turkey) against A. baumannii derived from burn isolates in vivo were compared. In addition, an effective treatment protocol for contaminated combat-related burns was sought, in order to reduce or eliminate the likelihood of A. baumannii infection or septicaemia. 2. Materials and methods This experimental study involved 32 male adult Wistar rats weighing 200–220 g, housed under standard conditions at ambient room temperature and fed laboratory chow and unlimited water throughout the investigation. Before the study began, the experimental protocol was approved by the burns 35 (2009) 270–273 article info Article history: Accepted 11 May 2008 Keywords: Acinetobacter baumannii Burn infection Wound dressing abstract In this animal study, three topical antibacterial dressings, Acticoat TM , chlorhexidine acetate 0.5% and silver sulfadiazine 1%, were compared in the treatment of Acinetobacter baumannii contamination of burns. All treatments were effective and prevented the organism invading the muscle and causing systemic infection, so there were significant differences between the results of the treatment groups and the control group. Mean eschar concentrations did not differ significantly between the silver sulfadiazine and chlorhexidine acetate groups, but there were significant differences between these and the Acticoat TM group, indicating that Acticoat TM eliminated A. baumannii from the tissues more effectively. # 2008 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved. * Corresponding author. Tel.: +90 216 542 2656/532 504 8831; fax: +90 216 348 78 80. E-mail address: fatihuygur@hotmail.com (F. Uygur). available at www.sciencedirect.com journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/burns 0305-4179/$36.00 # 2008 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.burns.2008.05.020