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<\/div>Staphylococcus epidermidis bacteria can enter the body via skin wounds<\/p>\n
Scott Camazine\/Alamy<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n
A patch that zaps the skin with electrical pulses could be used before or after surgery to prevent bacteria<\/a> on the skin from causing blood poisoning, reducing our reliance on antibiotics.<\/p>\n Staphylococcus epidermidis<\/em> bacteria usually live harmlessly on human skin, but if they enter the body after surgery or via skin cracks due to conditions such as psoriasis, they can cause bloodstream infections<\/a>, which can lead to dangerously low blood pressure.<\/p>\n Antibiotics<\/a> can prevent and treat these infections, but this has led to antibiotic-resistant strains of S. epidermidis<\/em> emerging. Looking for another approach, Bozhi Tian<\/a> at the University of Chicago and his colleagues considered the potential of electrical pulses, which have previously been shown to kill bacteria<\/a>.<\/p>\n The researchers created square plastic patches that were 1 millimetre wide, each containing gold electrodes that, when wired up, produce electrical pulses that can\u2019t be felt by people. They then spread a strain of S. epidermidis<\/em> onto five samples of disinfected pig skin<\/a>\u00a0and put a patch on top of each piece.<\/p>\n After zapping the skin for 10 seconds every 10 minutes for 18 hours, the team found that S. epidermidis<\/em> levels were reduced 10-fold on these samples compared with others that had patches put on them, but that didn\u2019t deliver electrical pulses.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The intervention also disrupted the ability of the bacteria to join up to form a layer called a biofilm, which has been linked to more severe infections.<\/p>\n The results suggest that the patches, which could theoretically be cut to any size, could reduce the risk of serious drug-resistant S. epidermidis<\/em> infections, says Tian.<\/p>\n Widespread antibiotic use is driving an increase in drug resistance and this alternative approach could help slow the crisis, says Munehiro Asally<\/a> at the University of Warwick, UK. But it is unclear how the patches might affect other bacteria on the skin that can also cause blood poisoning, he says.<\/p>\n