H2O2-Producing Electrochemical Bandages Are Active Using Off-the-Shelf Hydrogels.

An electrochemical bandage (e-bandage) that generates hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) through a combination of working, counter and reference electrodes used with an electrolyte-providing hydrogel is being developed for wound infection management. e-Bandage biocidal activity was previously demonstrated using Xanthan gum hydrogel. For clinical use, clinically used hydrogels would be ideal, but their use with the described e-bandage has not been shown. The goal of this work was to evaluate the biocidal activity of off-the-shelf, clinically used hydrogels when used with a 1.77 cm² H₂O₂-producing e-bandage. e-Bandage electrochemical parameters and activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus IDRL-6169 and Acinetobacter baumannii ATCC-17978 biofilms were assessed with six off-the-shelf hydrogels. Variations in hydrogel composition affected electrochemical parameters, which was associated with differences in biocidal activity. Results of this study inform the selection of off-the-shelf hydrogels for use with H₂O₂-producing e-bandages.