Abstract
Background: Catheter-associated urinary tract infections pose a significant challenge globally, impacting patient morbidity and mortality while increasing healthcare costs due to increased antimicrobial treatments and extended hospital stays. This study discuss effective strategies for controlling catheter contamination and explores innovative surface modifications for existing Foley catheters, aiming for complete resistance to microbial adhesion, colonization, and biofilm formation. By reimagining the materials used in Foley urinary catheters, this research paves the way for a groundbreaking approach to prevent catheter-associated urinary tract infections, alongside developing advanced methods for delivering antimicrobial agents to combat urinary catheter biofilm.
Methods: Investigations into used urinary catheters revealed microbial contamination. The isolated strains underwent further analysis for biofilm formation and antibacterial activity, alongside a PCR examination of biofilm-related genes using specific primers. To enhance preventive strategies, existing urinary catheters were modified with selected agents, and both catheter topography and antimicrobial efficacy were rigorously measured.
Conclusions: The innovative modified catheter developed through this study effectively prevents the adhesion of contaminating bacteria within the lumen, inhibiting biofilm formation, encrustation, and catheter blockage. This advancement holds the promise of significantly reducing catheter-associated urinary tract infections and their complications.
Outcomes of the study: The CAUTI preventive strategies cultivated in this research offer a beacon of hope in addressing the challenge of nosocomial UTIs. By minimizing treatment costs and enhancing patient comfort, this work also contributes to reducing biomedical waste through the necessity of fewer catheters. The study revealed that uropathogens respond remarkably to combined antimicrobials, where two antimicrobial agents within a catheter can prevent biofilm formation and extend its lifespan beyond 30 days, compared to just 3 days for unmodified catheters. The antimicrobial polymers developed here have the potential to revolutionize the manufacturing of urinary catheters, creating a world where microbial attachment, and consequently biofilm formation, could be prevented.
