Antibacterial effects of electrospun chitosan/poly(ethylene oxide) nanofibrous membranes loaded with chlorhexidine and silver

To prevent percutaneous device associated infections (PDAIs), we prepared electrospun chitosan/poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) nanofibrous membrane containing silver nanoparticles as an implantable delivery vehicle for the dual release of chlorhexidine and silver ions. We observed that the silver nanoparticles were distributed homogeneously throughout the fibers, and a fast release of chlorhexidine in 2 days and a sustained release of silver ions for up to 28 days. The antibacterial efficacy of the membranes against Staphylococcus aureus showed that the membranes exhibited an obvious inhibition zone upon loading with either chlorhexidine (20 μg or more per membrane) or AgNO3 (1 and 5 wt% to polymer). Furthermore, long-term antibacterial effect up to 4 days was verified using membranes containing 5 wt% AgNO3. The results suggest that the membranes have strong potential to act as an active antibacterial dressing for local delivery of antibacterial agents to prevent PDAIs.