Monica Escalante
Writing 116
9 May 2012
Aqueous Antimicrobial Copper for the cure of MRSA
Abstract:
Copper has been proven to stop the spread of infection particularly Methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus. In this experiment we will take copper melt is down into liquid form and
mix with 70% alcohol and premade antibiotic cream. This will be tested on 100 different
infections to see if it stops the growing of the infection and kills the infection. If the solution
stops and kills the infection this solution will be mass produced in solution soaked cleaning pads
and will be placed over patients wounds.
Background:
Worldwide there are about 7 million cases reported of people with infections. Of these
37,000- 100,000 people die due to the infections (Fernandez and Prather). One infection that
cause the most harm in people is Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or more commonly
known as MRSA. As you can tell by the name alone it is a strain of Staphylococcus aureus
resistant to all known forms of medication.
Staphylococcus Aureus (S. aureus) is a type of bacteria that can lead to many different
infections and diseases. Until about twenty years ago, all branches of his bacteria had some form
of treatment. However, a strain called Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is
untreatable by any form of medication. MRSA is similar to S. aureaus in their appearance and
their symptoms. MRSA is an infection on the skin that causes a rash with lesions that look like
pimples or boils and they can vary in size. They may have pus coming out of them or inside of
them that a medical professional drains. However, MRSA is a much tougher strain that is
resistant to all antibiotics used to treat S. Aureus.
The spreading of S. aureus and MRSA are also very similar. They can be very contagious
from person to person. They are spread through direct contact with someone who has the
infection or an object in which that person may have touched the materials or surfaces (Davis).
The spreading of MRSA has been more of a problem at hospitals, more specifically trauma units
and emergency rooms. Places that may have patients with some kind of open wounds, depressed
room systems, or chronic diseases (Davis).
The spread of MRSA in hospitals has become a greater problem because in addition to
having to heal the wounds that caused them to be in the hospital they have to deal with an
incurable skin infection what can spread throughout the body (Davis). This paper will review
research on how the virus is spreading in hospitals and what medicines they are testing to and
heal the bacterial infections and ultimately kill the bacteria in the human body (Davis).
Up until recently nothing has been able to stop the grow and spread of MRSA until a set
of doctors at the University of Southampton in the United Kingdom discovered something very
special (Fernandez and Prather). This was that the infection died off when placed on an
antimicrobial copper surface. This is the bases of this research experiment. We hope to take this
antimicrobial copper and hope to turn it into an ointment to help cure MRSA. Since MRSA is a
healthcare acquired infection, has short doubling time, and is extremely infectious it is important
that a solution is found in order to stop and control the spread of MRSA. The main objective of
this experiment is to use copper in an aqueous solution in order to stop the spread of
MRSA on a person. In trying to fulfill this objective there are a couple of aims that are
needed:
1) Obtain consent from patients
2) Extract infection
3) Culture the infection
4) Spread 5 different solutions on infection to see if infection stops from growing
Methods:
Since this experiment has to do with people and obtaining an infection from them, the
first things needed is the get permission from that patient to extract the sample of MRSA from
their open wound. In order to not have any fall back from this that would need to sign a consent
from that patient on record. Infections will be taken from 100 patients over a years time. All
must sign consent form. So many samples of infection are needed because each strain of MRSA
is different and is resistant to different medications.
Furthermore, since MRSA is an infectious disease all experiments and will be done at the
CDC in a level 2 biosafety area. The samples after being obtains will be stored in sterilized
cooler while being transported to the CDC where they will stored in biological safety cabinets.
The samples will be taken by a registered nurse using medical stick swabs and
immediately placed in sterile tubes and capped. Then stored in the sterile medical cooler for
transports to CDC.
The infection will be spread onto an agar plate after being dyed with green fluorescent
protein to make the bacterial visual and left to culture for 2-5 days.
While leaving the infection to grow you will make four solutions to test on the infections.
Millilers
70%
Rubbing
Alchol
Milliliters
liquid
Copper
Methicillin
Solution 1
15
5
Millilers
Premade
crème
0
5
0
5
Solution 2
Solution 3
Solutions 4
10
15
20
5
5
5
5
5
5
Once the infections have grown in agar plates, infections will be distributed to 5 new agar plates
and left to culture for one day. The solutions will be a liquid form that will be spread over the
infection in agar plates and let to effect bacteria. The Methicillin will be used as a control since
we know that MRSA is resistant to it. When a solutions works against the MRSA infections it
will be mass produced as a cleansing pad soaked in the solution for the treatment of MRSA
infection.
Budget:
Product
Pack of 10 Agar Plates
100 count Latex gloves
(S,M,L)
75 count Medical Swab
Stick
Pack of 10 Sterile Tubes
with rubber lined caps
49 Units Green
Fluorescent Protein Dye
ArcturusXT™ Live Cell
Growth Chamber –
Sterile
Amscope 40x-2000x
Medical Laboratory
Compound Microscope
Nurse Salary for a year to
take the infection swabs
scientist testing the
infections
An Assistant/ Intern to
help with the research
Transportation
Cost/
Total
product Quantity Cost
$16.95
100 $1,695.00
$12.00
10
$120
$7.00
20
$140.00
$21.30
100 $2,130.00
$140.00
4
$560.00
$250
10
$2,500
$225
2
$450
$72,000
1
$72,000
$78,000
1
$78,000
$25,000
$1000/
trip
1
$25,000
100
100,000
The total cost for this research will be $282,595.00.
Rational: The main objective of this experiment is to use copper in an aqueous solution in order
to stop the spread of MRSA on a person. In trying to fulfill this objective there are a couple of
aims that are needed:
1) Obtain consent from patients
2) Extract infection
3) Culture the infection
4) Spread 5 different solutions on infection to see if infection stops from growing
References:
Davis, Charles Patrick, MD, PhD. "MRSA (Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus
aureus) Infections ." Medicine Net. N.p., 2012. Web. 5 Apr. 2012.
<http://www.medicinenet.com/mrsa_infection/article.htm>.
Fernandez, Dan, and Victoria Prather. "Live Experiment Shows That MRSA Dies on
Antimicrobial Copper Surfaces." Market Watch. N.p., 10 Apr. 2012. Web. 3
May 2012.
Keevil, William. Witness the power of Antimicrobial Copper . N.p., n.d. Web. 3
May 2012. <http://www.antimicrobialtouchsurface.com/>.