Catheters with Antimicrobial Surfaces

Abstract

Catheters are widely used as primary or secondary tools in a wide range of biomedical applications for addressing several medical needs and purposes. Similar to other biomedical implants, catheters are subject to microbial infection and biofilm formation that can reduce their success and performance. Microbial contamination has been reported across the catheter's lifecycle, including placement, maintenance, removal and reinsertion. Given that the catheter surface can be a reservoir for microbes leading to biofilm formation and infection, several preventative and therapeutic surface modifications with specific and non-specific targets are being developed to addressing this challenging obstacle. Current surface modification strategies for antimicrobial functionality include antibiotic agent release, contact killing and repelling or anti-adhesive functions. Wide ranges of antimicrobial materials—organic, e.g. quaternary ammonium functionalized polymers; inorganic, e.g. silver; antiseptic, e.g. chlorohexidine; and antibiotics, e.g. rifampin—have been reported, targeting a broad spectrum of microorganisms involved in microbial infection of catheters. In this chapter, we discuss the latest approaches and progress in the development of antimicrobial coatings and combination therapies for addressing catheter-associated infections.