A team of researchers from the School of Medicine and Health Sciences of George Washington University in the US has designed a new system that has the ability to detect wound infections in just one second.
Currently, the procedure for determining whether the injury of a patient has been infected takes from 24 to 48 hours. This is because it is necessary to take a sample from the wound, leaving it in a petri dish overnight and wait to see if the bacterial cultures are formed.
However, detecting infections at an early stage is very important for physicians to apply the appropriate treatment as soon as possible to prevent the problem from spreading and generate greater evils.
To expedite the process, this group of scientists has developed an inexpensive and disposable electrochemical sensor that reveals immediately for the presence of infectious organisms in a wound. Specifically, researchers have used the device for detection of pyocyanin, a molecule produced by Pseudomonas bacteria that is routinely present in chronic lesions.
In clinical trials that have been conducted so far, the probe has correctly detected microbes 71% of the time. It has also been able to identify the absence of bacteria in 57% of cases.
«Infections are a major challenge in medicine, and by using this probe, we were able to take advantage of the unique molecules produced by bacteria for infection,» said Dr. Victoria Shanmugam, Director of Research .
The next step is to optimize the sensor and continue testing. In the future it will provide physicians a quick and effective method to detect infections in wounds in less than one second.
This sensor is not the first solution we see to identify bacteria in the lesions. There is also a smart bandage that glows if the wound becomes infected, developed by the University of Brighton in the UK.
Source: http://computerhoy.com/noticias/life/sensor-detecta-infecciones-heridas-segundo-40241
