Household Vinegar Effective to Prevent Infection, Kill Bacteria in Burn Wounds

Burns wounds are a common traumatic injury and prone to becoming infected due to loss of a normal skin barrier. Local infection of the burn wound and subsequent sepsis (blood poisoning) are key concerns for patients. Sepsis is the leading cause of death among patients with burn wounds. Researchers have now revealed that highly diluted acetic acid, an active ingredient of household vinegar, could be an effective alternative agent to prevent infection and kill bacteria found in burn wounds.

One of the researchers Fenella Halstead from Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, Britain, said, "As resistance to antibiotics grows, we need to find ways to replace them with alternative topical agents that can kill bacteria and help our burns patients. The evidence in this study offers great promise to be a cheap and effective measure to do just that."

Infections of burn injuries are difficult to treat with traditional antibiotics. These antimicrobials do not effectively reach the wound, and the infecting organisms are often highly antibiotic resistant. The study suggested that low concentrations of acetic acid can be used to clear the bacteria. Therefore, they could be used as alternatives to topical (surface applied) antimicrobials and traditional antimicrobial dressings for preventing bacterial colonization of burns.

The study finding that it is effective at far lower concentrations than previously thought therefore offers hope for the development of novel treatments. However, the researchers stressed that people should not apply vinegar by themselves but should go to hospital as normal. The acetic acid treatment would only be recommended in serious burns where infection can become a problem.

The study was published in PLOS ONE.

Source: IANS