Some experimental data support the results
of our clinical trial. In an established animal
model of a contaminated complex musculoskeletal
wound, the initial reduction in pseudomonas
bacterial counts was greater when wound
irrigation was performed with castile soap than
when it was performed with normal saline (with
counts reduced to 13% vs. 29% of the pretreatment
level),39 but at 48 hours, bacterial counts in
the soap group increased to 120% of the pretreatment
levels, whereas the bacterial counts
with normal saline solution were 68% of the pretreatment
levels. Similarly, investigators using a
Staphylococcus aureus–contaminated rat-femur model
have suggested that host-tissue toxicity and
necrosis from antibacterial solutions allow bacteria
to thrive and bacterial levels to rebound to
pretreatment levels.40