Journal of Clinical Case Reports

Effectiveness of the Topical Use of Chlorine Dioxide in Patients with Skin Infection at the Reina Catalina Clinic, Barranquilla, Colombia: Case Report

Abstract

Eduardo Insignares-Carrione*, Jorge Tarud, Juan Martinez, Carlos Lacouture, Blanca Bolaño, Joaquin Diazgranados, Daniel Rosales and Sergio Arbelaez

Introduction: Skin and Soft Tissue Infections (SPI) occur very frequently in hospital services and complicated cases require hospitalization or immediate interventions in hospitalized patients. However, there are few studies in our setting that describe new treatments for these infections.

Material and methods: Prospective descriptive observational study of patients with episodes diagnosed with post-traumatic, diabetic, mixed (diabetic/traumatic) ulcers delayed wound healing and burns in postoperative patients in the plastic surgery unit of the Reina Catalina Clinic in Barranquilla, Colombia from July 2022 to November 2022.

Results: Fifteen (15) cases of hospitalized patients with picture of post-traumatic, diabetic, mixed (diabetic/traumatic) ulcers, delayed wound healing and burns with the presence of skin and soft tissue infections (IPPB). The most frequently diagnosed entity was cellulitis/erysipelas (60%); the origin of the IPPB was hospital and the majority of patients did not present comorbidities. None of the patients evaluated presented any vascular disease that could alter the results. The most frequently isolated microorganism was P. aeruginosa (40%), P. mirabilis (20%), E. coli (20%) and E. cloacae (20%), all of nosocomial origin. During the treatment, no patient died and all of them completely healed from their IPPB.

Conclusion: The most frequently treated IPPB in patients hospitalized at the Reina Catalina clinic in Barranquilla are mainly ulcers associated with cellulitis/erysipelas, most of them acquired by nosocomial route. The use of new and old antibiotics have not had the expected success, especially due to the presence of biofilms that favor the aggravation of infections. Chlorine dioxide solubilized in water at 3000 ppm topical, had a result of complete resolution of nosocomial infections in the area of plastic surgery, which makes it a promising substance in the resolution of infections in postoperative, traumatic and ulcer wounds. diabetes and burns in particular in the treatment of the biggest problem associated with these infections: The biofilm.