Evaluation of effectiveness of cold atmospheric plasma treatment methods for prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia

Hospital-acquired infections (HAI) (nosocomial infection) are serious health
problems that occur when person acquires infection during stay in a hospital for
causes other reasons than that infection. Colonization of microorganisms pave the
way for deaths, in detail, Ventilator Associated Pneumonia (VAP) is remarkable in
terms of mortality accounted for 15% of nosocomial infections. Ventilator associated
pneumonia (VAP) is common a disease, especially among patients that are on
connected ventilators in intensive care units. It is defined as the pneumonia, in which
occurs in at least 48 hours after mechanical ventilation, is provided via endotracheal
tubes or tracheostomy. This infection occurs because of assault of microorganisms
that settle in endotracheal tubes in respiratory tract and then in lung parenchyma
tissue. The most common settling organisms in respiratory tract are S.aureus, P.
aureginosa, K. pneumonia, E.coli and Acinetobacter, Candida, Enterobacter species.
Due to multi drug resistant microorganisms, the current treatments are inadequate
and the mortality rate increases. Therefore, plasma can play significant role for the
management of ventilator-associated pneumonia. Plasma is ionized gas and defined
as the fourth state of matter. The treatments of plasma in health care can ensure quick
and pretty effect to protect from resistant microorganism to antibiotics to patients.
The purpose of present study is to develop a method of plasma treatment which can
be utilized for the control and prevention of ventilatör associated pneumonia. For this
concept, we have designed different systems and determined optimum parameters to
prevent and eradicate biofilms of Staphylococcus aureus, Acinotabacter baumannii,
Pseudomonas aureginosa, and Candida Albicans in endotracheal tubes. Our results
indicate that, various plasma treatment modalities are capable of prevention and
eradication of biofilms grown in endotracheal tubes. Therefore, cold atmospheric
pressure plasma treatment methods could be considered as for the management of
ventilator associated pneumonia.