ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Studies have demonstrated that intervention material retention for a period of time in vivo causes pathogenic bacteria surface attachment, proliferation even forming biofilm to become potential source of high polymer catheter-associated infection. Inhibition of biofilm formation significantly reduces infection.OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the antimicrobial effect of anti-infective polyethylene material and its inhibiting effect to biofilm on the surface.DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING: Single sample observation was performed at the National Engineering Research Center for Engineering Plastics, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences from June 2008 to May 2009, and the antimicrobial test was performed at the General Hospital of General Staff Headquarters of PLA in March 2009.MATERIALS: Organic antibacterial agent2,4,4'-trichloro-2'-hydroxydiphenyl ether; IONPURE~(R) Silver-Inorganic anti-microbialreagent; low-density polyethylene (LDPE).METHODS: LDPE was respectively blended with organic antibacterial agent and inorganic antibacterial agent, and the LDPE slice was prepared by injection molding process.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The antimicrobial efficacy of anti-infective polyethylene was determined by the plate counting method. The ultrasonic-plate method and scanning electron microscopy were introduced to observe the biofilm formation.biofilm maturation. The propagation of microbe was found to be depressed remarkably on the surfaces of modified samples with organic antibacterial agent, and the formation of biofilm was prevented. The observation of SEM confirmed that no biofilm was formed on the surfaces of PE added organic antibacterial agent. The results showed that a large amount of bacteria and extracellularpolysaccharide matrix adhered on the surfaces of PE added inorganic antibacterial agent and untreated PE.CONCLUSION: Anti-infective polyethylene added organic antibacterial agent possesses excellent antimicrobial performance against S. aureus and E coli, and it can inhibit the formation of biofilm on the surfaces, which provides a promising approach to prevent catheter-related infections.