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Published on: July 13, 2019
In vitro study assessing the antibacterial activity of three silver-impregnated/coated mechanical valve needleless
Cynthia C Chernecky1, Jennifer L Waller, William R Jarvis
1Department of Physiological and Technological Nursing, College of Nursing, Augusta, GA 30912, USA. cchernecky@georgiahealth.edu
Abstract:
This in vitro study's purpose was to assess antibacterial activity of 3 different connectors: V-Link (Baxter, Deerfield, IL), Ultrasite Ag (B. Braun, Bethlehem, PA), and MaxGuard (CareFusion, Ontario, CA), impregnated with silver nanoparticles after blood exposure. All 3 silver-coated/impregnated connectors grew Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis. Log reduction of bacteria was not significant (range, +0.19 to -1.82). There was substantial bacterial recovery from all 3 connectors (mean ranges, 2.09 × 10 to 4.00 × 10) indicating that, once blood comes in contact with silver-coated/impregnated needleless connectors, their antibacterial activity is significantly reduced.
