BENZALKONIUM CHLORIDE - A POTENTIAL DISINFECTING IRRIGATION SOLUTION FOR ORTHOPEDIC WOUNDS

The efficacy of benzalkonium chloride was evaluated as an irrigating s olution for the eradication of Staphylococcus aureus from a contaminat ed orthopaedic wound. Thirty Sprague Dawley rats were randomized into two groups. A stainless steel wire was placed in a lumbar spinous proc ess, and the wound was inoculated with 10(7) or 10(6) colony forming u nits of Staphylococcus aureus. The wound was irrigated with 1 L of nor mal saline or 0.1% benzalkonium chloride solution. The animals were sa crificed, and cultures were obtained. Rats inoculated with 10(7) colon y forming units of Staphylococcus aureus and irrigated with benzalkoni um chloride had a significant decrease in the total number of positive cultures, deep wound cultures, and stainless steel wire cultures. Rat s inoculated with 10(6) colony forming units of Staphylococcus aureus and irrigated with benzalkonium chloride also had a significant decrea se in the total number of positive cultures, deep wound cultures, and stainless steel wire cultures. In a parallel noninoculation study, his tologic evaluation of tissues did not show toxicity in the rats irriga ted with benzalkonium chloride. This study shows that benzalkonium chl oride is more effective than normal saline as an irrigating agent for eradicating Staphylococcus aureus from a contaminated orthopaedic woun d.