Extraction and quantification of biofilm bacteria: Method optimized for urinary catheters

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Biomedical Engineering
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• Bacterial biofilms on medical devices, like urinary catheters, cause device failure and complications.
• Accurate quantification of biofilm bacterial load is crucial for evaluating new infection-prevention strategies.
• A standardized method for biofilm quantification is lacking for various surfaces and established biofilms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish a simple, accurate, and reproducible method for extracting and measuring biofilm bacteria from indwelling catheters.
• To validate this method across different catheter sizes and models (in vitro, animal, human).

Main Methods:

• Utilized a combination of vortexing and sonication for bacterial biofilm extraction.
• Tested the method on catheters ranging from 3 Fr to 14 Fr.
• Applied the method to in vitro, murine, porcine, and human clinical samples, including complex and polymicrobial biofilms.

Main Results:

• The vortexing and sonication method demonstrated consistent and reproducible results.
• The method proved effective for various catheter sizes and types of biofilms.
• Validated across in vitro, preclinical (murine, porcine), and human clinical settings.

Conclusions:

• A standardized, reproducible method for biofilm quantification on indwelling catheters has been established.
• This method will aid in assessing biofilms, particularly on urological devices.
• Facilitates the evaluation of novel technologies to prevent healthcare-associated infections.