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University of South Australia

Burns are one of the most common injuries among Australians and one of the leading causes of death for children under four years of age. Although the survival rate of burn patients has increased significantly, treating pediatric burns is still challenging, especially with the rise of multi-drug resistant bacteria.

Now, new technology from the University of South Australia can safely reduce infections and promote healing through the use of stimulus-responsive dressings, thereby revolutionizing the treatment of burns in children.

This study builds on the research team’s recent publications in Acta Biomaterialia and Biomedicines, which describe the antibacterial effects of ultra-small silver nanoparticles on wound biofilms.

The advanced silver nanoparticle hydrogel coating dressing developed by a research team (Dr. Zlatko Kopecki, Prof. Allison Cowin and Prof. Krasimir Vasilev) of the Institute of Future Industries, University of South Australia will release ultra-small silver that can be safely ruptured "on demand" Nanoparticles inhibit antibiotic-resistant bacteria and promote wound repair.

The therapeutic innovation lies in a delivery system that responds to changes in pH and temperature, and only activates when there is an infection.

Lead researcher, Dr. Zlatko Kopecki of the University of South Australia, said that this new treatment may significantly change the clinical management of burn infections.

"Wound infections and sepsis are daily problems in children with burns," said Dr. Kopecki.

"Silver-based wound care products can inhibit the growth of bacteria, but when they deliver too much silver to the wound, they can also cause toxicity.

"Our treatment is unique because it takes advantage of the antibacterial properties of silver, but avoids overexposure and only activates during infection.

"These advanced,'on-demand' silver nanoparticle dressings will regulate inflammation while promoting tissue regeneration, making them a safer and more effective treatment for children."

Professor Vasilev of UniSA said that this new technology will change the rules of the game for burn management.

"There are currently no responsive wound dressings on the market," said Professor Vasilev. "This collaborative effort will enable the use of smart materials to benefit patients and clinicians."

In Australia, about 50,000 people are admitted to hospitals with burns each year, and young children are particularly at risk. Scalds (65%) or flame burns (20%) are the most common burn-related injuries in children four years of age and younger.

Nearly 75% of burns are preventable.

Dr. Bernard Carney and Dr. Andrew May, the research partners of the Burns Department of the Women's and Children's Hospital (WCH), are collaborating with UniSA to better understand the pathogens present in children's burns and develop targeted treatments.

"Every year, WCH's burn department treats approximately 600 children with burns, and scalds account for a large portion of these injuries," said Dr. May.

"The most common thing is that these incidents occur at home. Children under five are at the greatest risk because they like to imitate adult behavior, which means hot drinks, taps and pans are all very dangerous areas.

"Despite advances in modern burn surgery, infection is still a major challenge for these vulnerable children, so topical silver therapy is widely used to combat this problem.

"We are very happy to work with the outstanding talents of the University of South Australia to bring new silver treatments, so that children have the greatest chance to recover from burns and live the best life." Further explore the increase at home during the pandemic More information on accidental burns in children: Hanif Haidari et al., Multifunctional ultra-small AgNP hydrogel accelerates healing of wounds infected by Staphylococcus aureus, Journal of Biomaterials (2021). DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2021.04.007

Hanif Haidari et al., using silver nanoparticle hydrogel treatment to eliminate mature bacterial biofilm and at the same time improve chronic wound healing, Biomedicine (2021). DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9091182 Journal information: Acta Biomaterialia

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