Combinations of Edetic Acid and Antibiotics in the Treatment of Rat Burns Infected with a Resistant Strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Purchased

A rat-burn model was used for the evaluation of combinations of edetic acid and antibiotics in the treatment of thermal burns infected with a strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa resistant to ampicillin and tetracycline. Experiments were standardized so that a fixed inoculum size of the test organism produced 100% mortality in two weeks when applied to a 30% full thickness burn. Edetic acid combined with various concentrations of antibiotics in a polyethylene glycol base was applied to the infected wound daily for 10 days. Survival rates and mean survival times of rats treated with either base alone or with the combination therapy did not differ significantly, and all animals that perished had a septicemia due to Pseudomonas.