Surface properties and bacterial adhesion on polyurethane central catheters: Impact of ethanol lock solution.

It was shown in the literature that ethanol locks have a positive effect on preventing catheter-related infections in patients with central venous catheters without causing any microbial resistance. However, ethanol is known to interact with polyurethanes. The consequences of this interaction on the catheter surface properties were studied as it can impact the biocompatibility of the material and the adhesion phenomena onto the surface. No physical and chemical degradation was put into evidence, but low molecular weight compounds such as additives were extracted from the catheter bulk or migrated and exudated onto its surface. Nevertheless, as far as bacterial adhesion is concerned, after the catheter was locked and the lock removed, the surface modifications promoted no adhesion.

Impact of mechanical stress on flexible tubing used for biomedical applications: Characterization of the damages and impact on the patient's health.

Flexible tubing is a key part of a lot of medical devices used in hospital, but may be subjected to a lot of various mechanical stresses that can led to the failure or to complications for the patients. The nature and causes of these mechanical stresses were listed for peristaltic pump tubing, infusion set tubing and catheters. Their consequences in term of tubing damages and particular contamination were reported. The impact of the chemical nature of the tubing, of its size and also the impact of various parameters of the clinical acts were reviewed. Last the consequences for the patient's health were discussed.