Bactogram: Spatial Analysis of Bacterial Colonisation in Epidermal Wounds

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Dermatology
• Wound Healing

Background:

• Skin barrier damage facilitates harmful microbiota, leading to conditions like wound infections and atopic dermatitis.
• Current microbial sampling methods (swabs, biopsies) lack spatial distribution data.
• Millions are affected by these conditions, causing significant healthcare costs.

Purpose of the Study:

• Introduce a novel method, 'Bactogram', for visualizing cultivable bacteria distribution on skin and wounds.
• Enable image-based quantification of bacterial presence and spatial variation.
• Assess the utility of Bactogram in characterizing bacterial re-colonization during wound healing.

Main Methods:

• Developed the 'Bactogram' method to create visual maps of bacterial distribution on skin and wounds.
• Applied the Bactogram method to 48 suction blister wounds in 24 healthy volunteers.
• Utilized visual scoring and image analysis for bacterial quantification, assessing inter- and intra-rater reliability.

Main Results:

• Bacteria were present in all wounds, primarily under dressings and near wound edges.
• Quantification methods showed high agreement, characterizing bacterial re-colonization during healing.
• Demonstrated proof of concept for spatial identification of specific pathogens like Staphylococcus aureus using chromogenic agar.

Conclusions:

• The Bactogram method offers a simple approach for large-area bacterial sampling.
• Generates bacterial maps to identify spatial variations in composition and abundance.
• Provides a valuable tool for studying skin and wound microbial conditions.