Non-Stick Surface On Med Devices Could Keep Bacteria At Bay

In lab tests, catheters coated with a non-stick surface harbored far fewer Staph bacteria than conventional devices. Gretchen Cuda Kroen reports.

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Nasty bacteria cling to the surfaces of countertops. They also stick to medical devices?like catheters?that are placed inside the human body, where they can become a dangerous source of infection.

Individually, bacteria are fairly easily killed. But if they multiply on a surface, they eventually form a biofilm?a tightly organized bacterial community that can fight off antibiotics and the body?s immune system.

Now, researchers have come up with a way to give those nasty bugs the ?slip?? a non-stick surface that stops the biofilm from forming. The material hasn?t been tested in humans yet. But in the lab, catheters coated with the non-stick surface stayed almost completely free of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. The findings were presented at the October, 2012, AVS International symposium in Tampa, which covers materials, interfaces and processing. [Andrew Hook et al, Combinatorial Discovery of Materials That Resist Bacterial Adhesion]

By denying bacteria a grip on medical devices without resorting to antibiotics, the researchers also hope to help doctors get a grip on antibiotic resistance?one of medicine?s stickiest problems.

?Gretchen Cuda Kroen

[The above text is a transcript of this podcast]

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