Up to 5% of people who have surgery can develop an infection — which can prolong healing and lead to dangerous complications, studies have shown. 

Additionally, chronic wounds affect around 6.5 million patients in the U.S.

Some bacteria can’t be seen with the human eye, which means they may be missed by physicians when cleaning a wound. 

Now, a new medical technology that uses fluorescent light has shown to be effective in detecting missed bacteria, according to new research led by University of Southern California, Los Angeles (USC).

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In a review of 26 medical studies, a handheld device using autofluorescence (AF) imaging successfully “lit up” bacteria in nine out of 10 wounds, with each different type of bacteria turning a different color, according to a press release from USC.

The findings were published recently in the medical journal Advances in Wound Care.

Real-time detection

In traditional cases, surgeons take tissue samples from wounds and send them to a lab for testing to determine the types of bacteria that are present, the researchers noted.

It can take days to get the results, during which time infection can set in.

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“Bacteria can cause wounds to become infected when they enter and colonize the cut or wound,” Dr. Raj Dasgupta, pulmonary and critical care specialist at Huntington Health in Los Angeles, told Fox News Digital. 

“If a person does not receive treatment for a wound infection, the infection can spread to other parts of the body, which may lead to serious complications.” (Dasgupta was not involved in the new study.)

The lighting technology allows clinicians to see bacteria in real time, leading to more targeted and effective wound care, according to the study researchers.

“Fluorescence imaging, particularly with devices like MolecuLight, offers a significant advancement in the ability to detect bacterial loads in chronic wounds, such as diabetic foot ulcers,” lead study author Dr. David G. Armstrong, professor of neurological surgery and director of the ​U​SC Limb Preservation Program, told Fox News Digital.

“If a person does not receive treatment for a wound infection, the infection can spread to other parts of the body, which may lead to serious complications.”

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It could also help prevent the need for antibiotics, as the bacteria can be removed before infection occurs.

“The study also explores the potential of wearable fluorescence imaging devices, which could further revolutionize surgical debridement by providing continuous visualization during the procedure,” Armstrong added.

One of the most surprising discoveries in the study was that high amounts of bacteria didn’t always cause symptoms, but still slowed down the healing process, the researchers stated.

This highlighted the need for “more sophisticated diagnostic tools” in wound management.

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“The big idea here is that we might be able to get out in front of an infection before having to give someone antibiotics,” said Armstrong. “This is the ultimate kind of stewardship to promote superbugs.”

Based on this study, Armstrong recommends that clinicians consider integrating fluorescence imaging into their standard wound care protocols, especially for chronic wounds like diabetic foot ulcers. 

“The big idea here is that we might be able to get out in front of an infection before having to give someone antibiotics.”

“This technology not only improves the accuracy of debridement, but also aids in early intervention, potentially reducing the risk of complications like infections and amputations,” he told Fox News Digital. 

“We also recommend that health care providers stay informed about advancements in wearable imaging technologies, which may soon provide even greater flexibility and precision in wound care.”

Fluorescence may not replace lab testing, surgeon says

Dr. Patrick Davis, a facial plastic surgeon at Davis Facial Plastics in Beverly Hills, California, emphasized the importance of preventing bacterial infections — especially for revision rhinoplasties, which he said have a higher risk of this type of complication.

“There has been modest research with the use of fluorescence to illuminate a particular wound bed,” Davis, who was not involved in the new study, told Fox News Digital. 

“The idea is that certain bacteria will emit a certain wavelength of light. Staph infections, for example, would emit a different color than another type of bacteria.”

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This can be helpful in confirming what kind of antibiotic to use for treatment, Davis noted, while also telling the surgeon the “burden of bacteria,” which indicates the level of bacteria in the wound.

The use of this technology still needs more research, according to the surgeon.

“At this time, this technology would not replace a simple swab of the area and then a laboratory test determining exactly what type of bacteria is present and what antibiotic to use,” he said.

“However, this technology can give a real-time hint at the family of bacteria that is present, although it may not be so specific — that is still reserved for a laboratory to determine.”

Dasgupta agreed that this device could be a “safe, effective, accurate and easy-to-use tool” to improve the assessment of wounds, but he noted that fluorescent light imaging has some limitations when used to detect bacterial infections.

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“The evaluation is limited to bacteria that produce fluorescent molecules on the skin’s surface and subsurface,” Dasgupta told Fox News Digital.

“The detection ability is also dependent on the number of bacteria present in the wound,” he went on. “Also, wound depth cannot be captured with this type of evaluation.”

Study limitations

The primary limitation of this study is that it depended on “controlled lighting conditions” in order for the fluorescence imaging devices to function accurately, Armstrong noted.

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“This could be a challenge in certain clinical settings, particularly in real-time surgical environments,” he said.

Chronic wounds affect around 6.5 million patients in the U.S.

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More research is also needed to confirm the effectiveness of wearable devices compared to the existing handheld devices.

The study is partially funded by the National Institutes of Health, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, and the National Science Foundation’s Center to Stream Healthcare in Place.