Abstract
A silver iontophoretic catheter was designed consisting of two silver wires connected to an electric power source and disposed in a parallel and helical manner around the proximal subcutaneous segment of a silicone catheter. In an in vitro tunnelled bridge model the silver iontophoretic catheter prevented the migration of Staphylococcus epidermidis from the highly contaminated hub to the sterile tip over a 40-d period. The silver impregnated cuff and electrically charged wires made of aluminum or iron delayed migration for only 72 h. A modified Kirby-Bauer technique, used to test the inhibitory activity of antimicrobial catheters, showed that the silver iontophoretic catheter has a broad spectrum inhibitory activity against Gram-positive bacteria, Gram-negative bacteria and Candida albicans. The silver iontophoretic catheter provides a long-term electrochemical barrier against the migration of organisms from the external contaminated environment into the sterile intravascular compartment.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1055-1059 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| Journal | Biomaterials |
| Volume | 17 |
| Issue number | 11 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 1996 |
Keywords
- Broad spectrum activity
- Catheters
- Electrochemical barrier
- Silver iontophoretic
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Bioengineering
- Ceramics and Composites
- Biophysics
- Biomaterials
- Mechanics of Materials