METHODS AND COMPOSITIONS USEFUL FOR REDUCING BIOBURDEN IN WOUNDS
A sterile, acidic liquid which has an effective solute concentration of from 0.3 to 0.6 Osm/L and a pH of from 3.7 to 4.2 can be used to treat the wound cavity of a mammalian subject. When used during surgeries performed on mammals, the liquid composition can be introduced to a surgery site wound cavity so as to reduce bioburden in that wound cavity. Advantageously, the composition need not be diluted or removed prior to approximation of the surgical wound.
1 : A method for treating a wound cavity in a mammalian subject, said method comprising:
a) providing a sterile, acidic liquid composition, said composition consisting of solvent and solute components and having an effective solute concentration of from 0.3 to 0.7 Osm/L and a pH of from 3.7 to 4.2;
b) prior to approximation of said wound, introducing said composition to said wound cavity; and
c) permitting at least a portion of said composition to reduce bioburden in said wound cavity during and after approximation of said wound.
2 : The method of claim 1 wherein said composition has an effective solute concentration of from 350 to 590 mOsm/L.
3 : The method of claim 1 wherein said composition has an effective solute concentration of from 450 to 680 mOsm/L.
4 : The method of claim 1 wherein said composition has a pH of from 3.85 to 4.05.
5 : The method of claim 1 wherein said solvent component consists of purified water.
6 : The method of claim 1 wherein all solutes in said solute component are pharmaceutical grade.
7 : The method of claim 4 wherein said solute component comprises or consists of a buffer system and an ionic surfactant.
8 : The method of claim 7 wherein said buffer system comprises dissociation products of a carboxylic acid and a conjugate base of a carboxylic acid.
9 : The method of claim 8 wherein said buffer system consists of dissociation products of at least one carboxylic acid and at least one conjugate base of at least one carboxylic acid.
10 : The method of claim 9 wherein said at least one carboxylic acid is citric acid and wherein said at least one conjugate base is a citrate.
11 : The method of claim 10 wherein said buffer system comprises dissociation products of from 25 to 40 g/L citric acid and from 30 to 45 g/L of a citrate that comprises three alkali metal ions.
12 : The method of claim 10 wherein said composition comprises from 0.7 to 1.9 g/L ionic surfactant.
13 : The method of claim 12 wherein said composition is provided in a container that comprises at least one access point.
14 : The method of claim 12 wherein said ionic surfactant is an anionic surfactant.
15 : The method of claim 14 wherein said anionic surfactant is sodium lauryl sulfate.
16 : The method of claim 1 wherein said composition is introduced by an emergency medical service provider, wherein at least some of the bioburden reduction occurs prior to or during transport of said mammalian subject.
17 : The method of claim 1 wherein said composition is introduced during an operation in a surgical theater, wherein the bioburden reduction occurs before, during and after said wound approximation.
18 - 33 . (canceled)