Irrigant Divalent Cation Concentrations Influence Bacterial Adhesion

Conclusion Bacterial adhesion to mammalian cells and matrix proteins is influenced by divalent cations, and pathogenic bacteria may be adapted to adhere under the low calcium high magnesium conditions in wounds. Although these results await confirmation for other bacteria, and in vivo validation and safety-testing, they suggest that supplementing wound irrigation with 5 mM CaCl 2 may reduce bacterial adhesion and subsequent wound infection.