Scientists Create Plaster That Glows At Detection Of Infections

British scientists have developed a new ‘wonder plaster’ which glows when it detects infection. The dressing has been developed to detect the early signs of Toxic shock syndrome – an often fatal complication in young children with burn injuries. The plaster, which was developed at the University of Bath, glows under UV light when an infection is detected within the burn, alerting healthcare professionals of the presence of disease. It works by releasing dye from nanocapsules triggered by the presence of disease-causing bacteria. The nanocapsules mimic skin cells in that they only break open when toxic bacteria are present, not responding to the harmless bacteria that normally live on healthy skin. The onset of Toxic shock syndrome can be very sudden and can turn a small burn into something potentially fatal within a few hours. The condition is often associated with women using tampons but can also result from an infect boil or insect bite as well as from burns or other skin damage which allows the bacteria to enter the bloodstream. Current methods of detecting infection take between 24 and 48 hours to get an accurate response, during which time the patient could die as the fast-spreading infection ravages their body. While it can detect the infection, the new plaster does not interfere with the skin’s normal healing process. Dr Amber Young, consultant paediatric anaesthetist at the South West Paediatric Burns Centre at Frenchay Hospital in Bristol, is the clinical consultant on the project. She said: ‘This new dressing will mean we will be able to detect the early signs of infection so we can diagnose and treat the child quickly. Culled from Dailymail.co.uk