US Patent 9427417 Wound treatment employing antimicrobial composition

A process for reducing bacterial colonization in or around the area of a wound includes applying to the area a gel that includes at least one PEG and an aqueous composition which has a pH of from 2 to 4, a total solute concentration of from 1.8 to 4.0 Osm/L, and from 0.9 to 1.7 g/L of at least one cationic surfactant. The aqueous composition can include a buffer system that includes an organic acid and a salt of an organic acid. The gel is effective even when free of materials having antimicrobial properties other than those provided by the aqueous composition, such as sporicides, antifungals and antibiotics.