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Bacterial adherence to surgical sutures: can antibacterial-coated sutures reduce the risk of microbial contamination?

Charles E Edmiston1, Gary R Seabrook, Michael P Goheen

  • 1Division of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, 9200 West Wisconsin Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA.

Journal of the American College of Surgeons
|September 27, 2006
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Triclosan-coated sutures significantly reduce bacterial adherence and viability in vitro, offering a promising strategy to decrease surgical site infections and improve patient outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Biomaterials Science

Background:

  • Surgical site infections (SSIs) are a major cause of patient morbidity and mortality.
  • The role of surgical sutures in SSI etiology is a long-standing clinical concern.
  • Investigating suture material properties is crucial for infection prevention.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the in vitro antibacterial activity of triclosan-coated polyglactin 910 sutures.
  • To assess bacterial adherence to coated versus non-coated sutures.
  • To determine the impact of serum proteins and duration on antibacterial efficacy.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a standardized in vitro microbiologic model with clinical strains: Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), S. epidermidis (biofilm-positive), and E. coli (ESBL-producer).
  • Compared bacterial adherence to triclosan-coated and non-coated polyglactin 910 sutures.
  • Assessed the effect of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and documented antibacterial activity over 96 hours.

Main Results:

  • Triclosan-coated sutures showed substantial reductions in Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial adherence (p < 0.01).
  • Antibacterial activity of coated sutures was not diminished by 20% BSA pretreatment (p < 0.01).
  • Antibacterial efficacy persisted for at least 96 hours compared to controls (p < 0.01).

Conclusions:

  • In vitro model confirms triclosan-coated sutures significantly reduce bacterial adherence and microbial viability (p < 0.01).
  • Suture material contamination is a potential virulence factor in SSIs.
  • Triclosan-coated sutures represent an effective strategy to reduce perioperative surgical morbidity.

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