In fact, Pseudomonas is also one of the leading causes of death in post-operative infections, burn infections and lung infections.
What’s more, it’s also a major cause of urinary tract infections, respiratory system infections, dermatitis, soft tissue infections, bacteremia (invasion of the bloodstream by a pathogen), bone and joint infections, gastrointestinal infections and a variety of systemic infections
Worse yet, Pseudomonas is likely to become an even greater cause of illness and disease in the future, because it is now one of the most highly antibiotic-resistant pathogens on the face of the earth.
Fortunately, as this article will reveal, for decades colloidal silver has been known to be an effective remedy against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. And recent clinical research confirms this fact.
First, a little background...
Slime Cities
The Pseudomonas pathogen is known as a biofilm pathogen because it secretes a slime film and then forms colonies within that slime, creating in essence what amounts to a “slime city” of pathogens.
The pathogen is ubiquitous. In other words, it can be found throughout nature. And its slime can be found attached to both inert surfaces and to living surfaces such as plants and animals. And it can be found both inside and outside of the human body.
Researchers now believe the slimy protective biofilm produced by Pseudomonas is – at least in part – a major contributing factor to the profound antibiotic resistance of the pathogen.
According to Kenneth Todar, PhD, writing in Todar’s Online Textbook of Bacteriology:
“Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen, meaning that it exploits some break in the host defenses to initiate an infection.
In fact, Pseudomonas aeruginosa is the epitome of an opportunistic pathogen of humans. The bacterium almost never infects uncompromised tissues, yet there is hardly any tissue that it cannot infect if the tissue defenses are compromised in some manner.
It causes urinary tract infections, respiratory system infections, dermatitis, soft tissue infections, bacteremia, bone and joint infections, gastrointestinal infections and a variety of systemic infections, particularly in patients with severe burns and in cancer and AIDS patients who are immunosuppressed.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection is a serious problem in patients hospitalized with cancer, cystic fibrosis, and burns. The case fatality rate in these patients is near 50 percent.”
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is primarily a nosocomial pathogen [i.e., it originates primarily in hospitalized patients – ED]. According to the CDC, the overall incidence of P. aeruginosa infections in U.S. hospitals averages about 0.4 percent (4 per 1000 discharges), and the bacterium is the fourth most commonly-isolated nosocomial pathogen accounting for 10.1 percent of all hospital-acquired infections.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is primarily a nosocomial pathogen [i.e., it originates primarily in hospitalized patients – ED]. According to the CDC, the overall incidence of P. aeruginosa infections in U.S. hospitals averages about 0.4 percent (4 per 1000 discharges), and the bacterium is the fourth most commonly-isolated nosocomial pathogen accounting for 10.1 percent of all hospital-acquired infections.
Colloidal Silver to the Rescue!
Fortunately, there are a number of in vitro studies demonstrating the effectiveness of colloidal silver against the Pseudomonas pathogen.
In one time-kill study conducted at the University of North Texas by Mark A. Farinha, Ph.D., Professor of Microbiology, colloidal silver killed the Pseudomonas pathogen within four minutes, in concentrations of 15 ppm and 30 ppm.
According to the study analysis, the 30 ppm colloidal silver worked faster, but even at that, the 15 ppm colloidal silver worked within four minutes.
“Two concentrations of isolated silver were used, one 15 PPM isolated colloidal silver and one 30 PPM isolated colloidal silver.
The 30 PPM colloidal silver achieved results markedly faster, although both formulations achieved the desired results within four minutes...
...The in-vitro lab results conclusively demonstrate that a high quality isolated colloidal silver product is remarkably effective in concentrations of both 15 PPM and 30 PPM against Psuedomonas aeruginosa.
A greater concentration demonstrated faster action, however, the results in the first four minutes dropped population counts to nearly non-existant levels with both formulations.”
This was an in vitro (i.e., test tube) study, of course. So that kind of speed may not translate over to an infection in a human being.
But it certainly suggests that persistent application of 15-30 ppm colloidal silver to the wound site would resolve the infection.
Brigham Young University Study Shows Colloidal Silver
Kills Antibiotic-Resistant Strains of Pseudomonas, MRSA and E. Coli
In another this study, conducted in October 2006 at the Department of Microbiology/Molecular Biology of Brigham-Young University, and published in the journal Current Science, Vol. 91, No. 7, October 10, 2006 –
-- it was found that a number of the antibiotic drugs that were no longer effective against multiple drug-resistant pathogens such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, MRSA and E. Coli, could actually be restored to full efficacy against the deadly pathogens –
-- but only if a liquid silver solution similar to colloidal silver was used in conjunction with the antibiotic drug!
The researchers wrote:
“Silver–Water–Dispersion™ solution has been shown as an effective antibiotic against many...multiple drug-resistant (MDR) strains (including) Pseudomonas aeruginosa, E. Coli and MRSA.”
The study authors pointed out that combining a silver solution with the formerly effective antibiotics made good sense, stating, “As high level acquired resistance to conventional antibiotics is frequent, it seems reasonable to use combination therapy in order to achieve bactericidal synergism.”
They went on to state, “Active silver solutions have shown marked activity against proven bacterial-resistant strains…It is clear that the combination will allow a more complete clearing of the pathological organism.”
In short, what the researchers found is that when they used the liquid silver solution in conjunction with the antibiotic drugs that had previously lost their effectiveness against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and other deadly super pathogens –
-- the antibiotics began to work again. The synergism between silver and the antibiotic drugs brought the deadly pathogens back under control.
Since the antibiotic drugs tested at Brigham Young had previously lost their effectiveness against deadly super-pathogens such as Pseudomonas, this clearly demonstrates that the silver was the deciding factor in the deaths of the deadly pathogens!
Colloidal Silver Kills Both Pseudomonas and MRSA!
Another study, this one conducted in Taiwan, also demonstrated that colloidal silver nanoparticles kill both Pseudomonas aeruginosa as well as MRSA.
In this study, a special colloidal silver solution was tested on contact surfaces where the deadly pathogens are known to colonize, and from which they can spread to humans. The silver solution proved to be completely effective against both the MRSA and Pseudomonas super-pathogens.
The study, which demonstrated conclusively that silver could be applied to contact surfaces to stop colonies of the pathogens from forming, was titled, "Formation of colloidal silver nanoparticles stabilized by Na(+)-poly(gamma-glutamic acid)-silver nitrate complex via chemical reduction process."
It was conducted at the Department of Textile Science, Nanya Institute of Technology, Chung-Li, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan. And it was published in the journal Colloids Surface B Biointerfaces in October 2007.
Dilute Colloidal Silver Solution Kills Pseudomonas!
A May 2008 in vitro clinical study, titled “In vitro evaluation of the activity of colloidal silver concentrate against Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from postoperative wound infection,” –
-- and conducted jointly by the Department of Applied Microbiology, Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, Nigeria, and the Department of Pharmaceutics, University of Nigeria, at Nsukka, Nigeria –
-- also demonstrated colloidal silver’s effectiveness against Pseudomonas.
Using a diluted colloidal silver concentrate, the Pseudomonas pathogen was killed within 90 minutes after application.
The author's wrote "Our study has further confirmed the potent antibacterial activity of colloidal silver concentrate against Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
This presents a clear indication for the potential applicability of colloidal silver in the treatment of some post operative wound infections caused by this organism."
They also wrote:
“In the present study, colloidal silver was shown to demonstrate very potent antibacterial activity against P. aeruginosa isolated from post operative eye infection.
This activity should be urgently explored in the development of highly active antibacterial therapeutic agents to combat the rapidly increasing infectious diseases that currently challenge the present arsenal of antibacterial drugs.”
Egyptian Study Shows Colloidal Silver
More Effective Than Antibiotics Against Pseudomonas
In another new study, titled “Colloidal silver as a new antimicrobial agent,” –
-- which was conducted by the Department of Microbiology at the National Organization for Drug Control and Research in Giza, Egypt, and published in the International Journal of Microbiological Research, [1 (1): 33-36, 2010] –
-- it was demonstrated that multiple antibiotic-resistant strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa were decimated by colloidal silver, and indeed, the colloidal silver was far more effective than the antibiotic drugs tested!
Quoting the study:
“Table 2 shows that all tested bacteria were resistant to more than one antibiotic.
The important observation was the antibacterial activity of colloidal silver against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhi, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa which exhibit superior effects when compared with other antibiotics.”
So again, we have a published clinical study showing that colloidal silver was found to be more effective than antibiotic drugs against the Pseudomonas bacteria as well as a number of other antibiotic-resistant pathogens!
Colloidal Silver, Pseudomonas and Burns
The most prominent infection affecting burn victims is Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
In fact, more burn victims die from the ensuing Pseudomonas infection, than for any other reason.
But according to the Congressional testimony of William D. Moellar, president of American Biotech Laboratories (April 26, 2005) the Pseudomonas aeruginosa pathogen was killed in burn infections using as little as 5 ppm concentration of colloidal silver!
Of course, the information on colloidal silver’s effectiveness against Pseudomonas infections in burn victims is not new. Way back in 1966, researchers Moyer, Brentano, Gravens, Margraff and others reported that silver was very effective against Pseudomonas infections for burn victims.
As reported in The Ultimate Colloidal Silver Manual, quoting Zane Baronowski, CN, author of the booklet, Colloidal Silver: The Natural Antibiotic Alternative:
“The comeback of silver in medicine began in the 1970s. The late Dr. Carl Moyer, chairman of Washington University’s Department of Surgery, received a grant to develop better treatments for burn victims.
Dr. Margraf, as the chief biochemist, worked with Dr. Moyer and other surgeons to find an antiseptic strong enough, yet safe to use over large areas of the body. Dr. Margraf reviewed 22 antiseptic compounds and found drawbacks in all of them.
‘These compounds are ineffective against a number of harmful bacteria, including the biggest killer in burn cases – a greenish-blue bacterium called Pseudomonas aeruginosa. It almost always shows up in burns, releasing a poison.’
Reviewing the medical literature, Dr. Margraf found repeated references to silver. It was described as a catalyst that disables the enzymes microorganisms depend on to ‘breathe.’ Consequently, they die.
Therefore, Dr. Margraf decided to use the best known pharmaceutical compound of silver: silver nitrate. Concentrated silver nitrate was corrosive and painful. So he diluted the silver nitrate to a .5 percent solution and found that it killed the Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria and permitted wounds to heal. Resistant strains did not appear.
Silver nitrate, however, was far from ideal. It disturbed the balance of body salts, was thick and cumbersome to use and stained everything it touched. Dr. Margraf searched for other preparations of silver, and in the process helped re-discover colloidal silver, which he found to be highly effective on the burns.
As a result of these efforts, the topical burn cream Silver Sulphadiazine (aka Silvadene) was created, and hundreds of important new medical uses for silver were found.
Dr. Harry Margraf later concluded, ‘Silver is the best all around germ-fighter we have.’”
So in a very real sense, it was the virulence of the Pseudomonas pathogen that was largely responsible for the development of Silvadene Cream (Silver Sulphadiazine) –
-- which has since saved countless tens of thousands of lives of burn victims by preventing the infection that could have killed them!
Pseudomonas Lung Infections and Colloidal Silver
Based upon anecdotal accounts I’ve seen, colloidal silver also seems to work for internal pseudomonas infections.
Here is a quote from a doctor, taken from the Expert Quotes page on The Silver Edge site (http://thesilveredge.com/experts.shtml):
"I have a friend who has suffered for years from chronic pneumonitis, caused by Pseudomonas. Sputum cultures were consistently positive, despite massive doses of horribly expensive antibiotics. Then colloidal silver was suggested, and taken. Sputum cultures since have been negative, and the patient’s general health and vitality greatly improved. Her internist can’t deny the improvement, but won’t attribute it to the silver, of course! It would have occurred anyway; the silver just happened to come on the scene at the right time. Uh-huh." -- Dr. Paul Hine, M.D. (retired ophthalmologist)
In the above case, pneumonitis caused by Pseudomonas infection was apparently easily cured by colloidal silver, even after "massive doses" of prescription antibiotics had failed. However, the doctor didn't mention how much colloidal silver was used by the patient, nor how often.
Since the above case involved the lungs, I suspect that simply inhaling colloidal silver mist through a nebulizer would have equally well resolved the case, but of course I cannot be sure.
That would not be the case, of course, with a topical Pseudomonas infection, such as in a surgical wound or a burn. Topical treatment with colloidal silver would be required in such a case.
Another testimonial, from the SilverMedicine.org web site, states:
“I have had for years an ugly urinary infection, from Pseudomonas and Proteus, taken in hospital, both resistant to all the antibiotics, except that Amikacina [i.e., an antibiotic drug available in Mexico – ED].
With only 1 month of CS, one glass per day, the infection is gone. After first week no more symptoms yet.
The results have been confirmed with two several following analyses, one and two months later: everything is sterile.”
With only 1 month of CS, one glass per day, the infection is gone. After first week no more symptoms yet.
The results have been confirmed with two several following analyses, one and two months later: everything is sterile.”
Of course, testimonials are accounts of subjective experiences, and are not objective proof of efficacy. But it is interesting that there are anecdotal accounts of both Pseudomonas lung infections and urinary infections in which colloidal silver was found to be effective.
Potential Oral Colloidal Silver Therapy for Pseudomonas
I'm not a doctor, I’m a journalist. So I can't (and won’t) advise for any specific kind of health condition for any person.
But if I had a topical Pseudomonas infection, based on the research I've seen I'd most certainly consider applying 15-30 ppm colloidal silver three or four times a day, using a pump spray bottle, allowing it to air dry afterwards.
I'd also consider taking at least an ounce of colloidal silver three times a day, orally, until the infection was resolved.
For a case of pneumonitis (or even a case of bacteremia) caused by Pseudomonas infection, I’d consider taking an ounce of 15-30 ppm colloidal silver three times a day, then doubling that after several days, and doubling it again after several more days if needed, until the infection is resolved or the treatment proves to be not worthwhile.
I’d also consider inhaling colloidal silver using a nebulizer – twice a day for three minutes each session.
I'm a big fan of nebulizing colloidal silver. It gets the silver directly into the bloodstream via the lungs, bypassing the stomach.
Essentially, you are simply breathing in colloidal silver mist, deep into the lungs where it is then distributed to the bloodstream and taken to the tissues and organs throughout the body.
Nebulizers can be purchased relatively inexpensively on eBay (around $30-$35). Or, alternatively, a cool mist vaporizer (not a hot steam vaporizer) can be used, though not as effectively.
However, one caveat: There are ZERO studies on the safety of long-term inhalation of colloidal silver.
That’s potentially serious, because frankly, no one knows for sure whether or not silver particles inhaled over time get imbedded into lung tissue, or if they can detrimentally effect the actions of the cilia which help clear the lungs of fluids and toxins.
Therefore, I’d only use this method sparingly, such as several times a day for three minutes each time. Never for more than a few days in a row.
I tend to be ultra-conservative on the idea of nebulizing colloidal silver, until studies show long-term safety. After all, safety first is the best motto when it comes to your health.
The above idea are simply that: ideas. I am not a doctor. And I’m not “prescribing” what anyone else should do. Just musing, journalistically, about what I’d consider trying if I had a serious Pseudomonas infection.
*Nothing stated in the above text should be construed as being a substitute for professional medical advice, nor a claim that colloidal silver is a cure for Pseudomonas or a specific remedy for any type of disease. Please note there is a significant difference between personal anecdotal evidence such as that described above, and legitimate medical proof. You should ALWAYS make ALL health-care decisions under the guidance of a licensed and experienced health care practitioner. Postponing or foregoing prescribed medical treatment in favor of a natural remedy could result in serious health consequences. Always work with your doctor. Never attempt to undergo an alternative course of treatment on your own just because you read or heard something in the popular media.
Copyright 2011. Life & Health Research Group, LLC. All rights reserved. No reproduction without the expressed written permission of the publisher. www.LifeandHealthResearchGroup.com
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