Efficacy of Nano Germicidal Light Therapy on Wound Related Infections

Purpose: The purpose of this study investigated the antimicrobial efficacy ofultraviolet light (UVL) with and without traditional antibiotic therapy over a 14-day study duration. The objective was to assess microbial load of the implantedmaterials in experimental and control groups. Design: Experimental, prospective study.Methods: Eighty Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to one of four groups: Group 1, (Ceftriaxone); Group 2 (UVL only); Group 3, (UVL plus Ceftriaxone); or Group 4 (no treatment). A 2 cm incision was made and staphylococcus aureus inoculated Copa Foam was inserted. Samples were collected on day three, five, ten, and fourteen. Groups 1 and 3 were administered Ceftriaxone 100 mg/Kg on day 0 and day 1. Groups that received UVL received the light one inch from the wound site for 180 seconds. Sample: Eighty male, Sprague Dawley Rats (300-400g) were used. Analysis: Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and repeated ANOVA (RANOVA) were used. Findings: An ANOVA indicated no significant differences in the weights of the rats by group indicating that the groups were equivalent on this variable (p 0.05). RANOVA determined if there were significant differences in microorganism counts by groups over time. The microorganism count for the Ceftriaxone Group was less than the UVL Group on days 3, 5, and 10 (p 0.05). There was no significant differences in count between the UVL group and the no treatment groups at any time (p 0.05). There were no differences between the Ceftriaxone only group and the combination of Ceftriaxone + UVL at any time (p 0.05). Implications for Military Nursing: The data show that UVL had little effect on microorganism count. By the fourteenth day, all groups increased microorganism count indicating that antibiotic treatment needs to continue.