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Updated: Jul 31, 2026
10:43
High-throughput Identification of Bacteria Repellent Polymers for Medical Devices
Published on: November 5, 2016
Distinctive bacteria-binding property of cloth materials.
Mami Takashima1, Fumie Shirai, Makiko Sageshima
1Department of Health Promotion Science, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, 1-7 Yamada-oka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
American Journal of Infection Control
|February 3, 2004
Summary
Synthetic fabrics like polyester and acrylic bind bacteria, increasing nosocomial infection risk. Cotton fabrics show low bacterial binding, suggesting their use can help prevent pathogen spread in hospitals.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Textile Science
- Infection Control
Background:
- Nosocomial infections can spread via hospital personnel's clothing.
- Transmission of pathogens through clothing is understudied compared to hand hygiene.
- Bacterial adherence to textiles is challenging to quantify due to variable water absorption.
Purpose of the Study:
- To measure bacterial binding to various cloth fibers.
- To characterize the binding of opportunistic pathogens to different textile materials.
Main Methods:
- Incubation of cloth fibers (cotton, nylon, polyester, acrylic, wool) with Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa suspensions.
- Quantification of bacterial reduction in solutions and calculation of binding ratios to fibers.
Main Results:
- Polyester and acrylic fibers exhibited high binding ratios (>80%) for both S. aureus and P. aeruginosa.
- Cotton fibers showed low binding ratios (<10%) for these pathogens.
- Nylon fibers demonstrated low binding for S. aureus and intermediate binding for P. aeruginosa.
Conclusions:
- Polyester, acrylic, and wool fabrics may act as carriers for S. aureus and P. aeruginosa.
- Covering synthetic or wool clothing with cotton may reduce pathogen transmission in healthcare settings.
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