Comparative Assessment of Triclosan-Coated, Chlorhexidine-Coated, and Un-Coated Resorbable Sutures: An in-vitro Observational Study
K. S. Uthra
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Maharishi Markandeshwar College of Dental Sciences and Research, Ambala, Haryana, India.
Atul Sharma
Department of Dentistry, SSSDBJ Government Medical College, Jind, India.
Aayush Malhotra
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Maharishi Markandeshwar College of Dental Sciences and Research, Ambala, Haryana, India.
Megha Gupta
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Maharishi Markandeshwar College of Dental Sciences and Research, Ambala, Haryana, India.
Manvi Chauhan *
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Maharishi Markandeshwar College of Dental Sciences and Research, Ambala, Haryana, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Purpose: The study aimed to standardize the effective antimicrobial dose per unit length of suture and evaluate the antimicrobial efficacy of coated resorbable Vicryl sutures against oral commensals responsible for surgical-site infections.
Methods: The study used three types of commercially available 3-0 Vicryl sutures (uncoated, triclosan-coated, chlorhexidine-coated) each cut into 5-centimetre piece, and immersed in bacterial suspension (S. aureus, Streptococcus, P. aeruginosa, E. faecalis). Bacterial counts on Days 3, 5, and 7 evaluated both the overall efficacy and specific antimicrobial activity of coated versus uncoated sutures.
Result: The study included 241 samples. For all tested bacterial species, uncoated sutures consistently showed the highest bacterial growth by Day 7 [S. aureus: 223.94 ± 34.19; Streptococcus: 225.77(28.9); P. aeruginosa: 229.49(27.45); E. faecalis: 207.84(47.65)], while antimicrobial-coated sutures significantly inhibited growth, with triclosan-coated sutures demonstrating the lowest counts for S. aureus [74.68(10.8)], Streptococcus [77.93(14.44)], and E. faecalis [83.34(9.71)], and chlorhexidine-coated sutures showing the lowest for P. aeruginosa [81.73(11.67)] by Day 7.
Conclusion: Triclosan and chlorhexidine-coated sutures showed sustained antimicrobial efficacy, with triclosan being more effective against gram-positive bacteria and chlorhexidine against gram-negative, while 5 cm of coated suture sufficed for effective action.
Keywords: Surgical-site infections, triclosan-coated sutures, chlorhexidine-coated sutures, uncoated sutures, bacterial culture, oral micro-organisms