The Antimicrobial Effects of Plasma-mediated Bipolar Radiofrequency Ablation on Bacteria and Fungi

Abstract

Background Infection constitutes an important part of wound pathology and impede wound healing. Plasma-mediated bipolar radiofrequency ablation (Coblation®) is a tissue removal-technique suggested for use in wound treatment. Aims The study purposes were to determine the antimicrobial effect of ablation exposure on bacteria and fungi relevant to wound infection, and how exposure time, temperature and aerobic/anaerobic growth influence the effect. Methods Suspensions of 106 CFU/mL of Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli and Candida albicans were exposed to ablation or thermal control for 500, 1000 or 2000 ms or left untreated, and after that incubated aerobically. E. coli was also incubated anaerobically. Results Ablation was significantly (p < 0.0001) more microbicidal on all strains compared to untreated and thermal control. The reductions compared to untreated control were 99.87-99.99% for all strains. 5 Conclusions In conclusion plasma-mediated bipolar radiofrequency ablation has a general microbicidal effect on microbes relevant to dermal wound infection independent of aerobic/anaerobic growth and thermal effect.