[Prolonged antibacterial action of synthetic suture materials containing gentamicin]

A new sutural material in the form of polyacrylamide threads containing gentamicin in an amount of 10 per cent by the thread weight was studied. After storage for a year under refrigerator conditions the threads preserved their antibacterial activity when studied in vitro. Since gentamicin was included within the threads by means of the ionic links its release from the threads to the environment either in vitro or in vivo was gradual and uniform within at least 10 days. The quantity of the released antibiotic depended on its content per unit of thread length. The marked antibacterial effect within the prolonged period is a basis for the use of the threads in surgical practice for the prevention of infections in the early postoperative period.