Peroxyacetic acid effect on the bacteriologic status of war wound

In this study, the efficiency of peroxyacetic acid as a local antiseptic in war wound healing was investigated. Peroxyacetic acid was specially prepared for local application. The acidity was reduced from pH 2 to pH 5 using acetate buffer, the concentration was reduced to 0.2% and the use of sulfuric acid was avoided in the peroxyacetic acid preparation. Thirty-five patients with at least two similar wounds requiring daily dressing were included on a voluntary basis. Cranial wounds and wounds on the right side of the body were treated by peroxyacetic acid compresses, while other wounds were treated by the application of hypertonic NaCl solution. On day 12, the wounds treated by peroxyacetic acid (chi 2 = 52; df = 4, P < 0.001) were observed to be statistically significantly cleansed than the wounds treated conventionally. The use of peroxyacetic acid as a local antiseptic has not yet been described in the available literature. The possibilities and efficiency of peroxyacetic acid for this purpose, previously prepared for use in living tissue, are emphasized.