PHMB as a topical antimicrobial in veterinary wound management
Abstract
There are currently no new antibiotics on the horizon, and this fact should cause concern for all involved in both human and veterinary medicine.
The use of topical antimicrobials should be considered as the alternative to systemic antibiotics in wound infection in order to minimize their use. Polyhexamethylene biguanide (PHMB) is a relative newcomer to the veterinary market, having been used as an antiseptic/antimicrobial in a variety of industries for over 60 years.
PHBM has been incorporated into a range of wound dressings and is highly effective as an antimicrobial as it destroys the outer and cytoplasmic membranes of the bacteria, destroying them. These dressings are able to rapidly reduce the bacterial load in the wound and represent the first line in the management of the bacterial burden of a wound.
With no new antibiotic therapies on the horizon (Consensus Panel, 2010), the role of topical antiseptic/antimicrobial agents may take on greater significance in the coming years. One such antimicrobial agent is polyhexamethylene biguanide (PHMB). PHMB is a compound which has been used in a variety of industries for many years (Consensus Panel, 2010), but has only recently made any significant impact in wound care. Recent years have seen increased reliability on antibiotics, and it is this over reliance that has resulted in bacterial resistance (White et al, 2001).
Against a background of increasing bacterial resistance to antibiotics and the fact that wound bacteria can significantly delay wound healing (Consensus Panel, 2010), it is necessary to prevent the proliferation of bacteria in wounds, while at the same time constraining the prophylactic use of antibiotics. Antiseptics provide an alternative antibacterial strategy, and because they affect multiple targets are less likely to generate bacterial resistance (Gilbert, 2006) when used prophylactically over a prolonged period.
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