The Effect of Vacuum-Assisted Closure Therapy on Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Wound Biofilms

Abstract

Biofilm-associated wound infections are a major global health issue, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is among the greatest therapeutic challenges. Vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) therapy is now being revisited as an alternative treatment for both acute and chronic wounds. However, data supporting the concept of its antibiofilm effect remain limited. Using quantitative biofilm-forming assay and a range of genotypic methods (spa, SCCmec, and agr typing), study authors showed that VAC therapy can significantly prevent biofilm formation (P lt .01) of a range of MRSA wound isolates differing widely in their biofilm-forming abilities and genetic background. The best effect was presented on CC5-MRSA-SCCmecI-agrII, a dominant MRSA clone among wound isolates worldwide. An assessment of effects of different protocols on dressing changes (1 or 2 times per week) demonstrated significantly greater antibiofilm activity (P lt .05) of 3-day dressing changes. These findings support the use of VAC therapy as a topical antibiofilm treatment for the effective management of wound healing.