Effectiveness of Polyvinyl Alcohol Nanofiber Composites as Anti-Bacterial Materials in Wound Dressing

Closing the wound using a wound dressing can speed up the wound healing process. The ideal wound dressing has the characteristics of being able to maintain the humidity of the environment around the wound and prevent the entry of microorganisms. In addition, wound dressings also do not cause a residual effect on the skin when removed, which can cause an irritating effect on the skin. This effect can be minimized by using a very fine fibrous wound dressing, in this case using a very small fiber (nanofiber). Materials that meet the criteria for wound dressings include polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). PVA composite nanofibers can be fabricated using the Electrospinning method. The nanofiber composites used include PVA/PVP/Chitosan, PVA/ZnO, PVA/Gelatin and PVA/Chitosan. Where the composite material has the ability to absorb, and the fiber diameter is in the range of 130-230 nm. Based on the anti-bacterial characterization, PVA composite effectively blocks the entry of microorganisms for approximately 3 - 4 hours, with efficiency ranging from 47.6% - 95.7%. The lowest efficiency was found in PVA/Gelatin composites and the highest in PVA/ZnO.