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Modelling vaporised hydrogen peroxide efficacy against mono-species biofilms

F Watson1,2, C W Keevil3, S A Wilks3

  • 1Environmental Healthcare Unit, Centre for Biological Sciences, Life Sciences Building, Highfield Campus, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK. fw1a15@soton.ac.uk.

Scientific Reports
|August 18, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Hydrogen peroxide vapor (HPV) effectively decontaminates healthcare surfaces, reducing multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) in biofilms. This study presents a new method for testing antimicrobial efficacy against resilient bacterial communities.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Environmental Health

Background:

  • Contaminated surfaces in healthcare settings are a major route for pathogen transmission.
  • Pathogens can form resilient biofilms on surfaces, evading standard cleaning protocols.
  • Multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) pose a significant threat in hospitals.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the efficacy of hydrogen peroxide vapor (HPV) against MDRO biofilms.
  • To develop and validate a novel methodology for testing antimicrobial agents against biofilms.
  • To identify potential resistance mechanisms in MDROs exposed to HPV.

Main Methods:

  • Biofilm models of MDROs (Acinetobacter baumannii, Enterococcus faecalis, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus) were generated using a drip flow reactor.
  • Biofilms were exposed to HPV decontamination, with samples collected periodically for enumeration.
  • Kill curves were generated to assess the reduction of viable organisms.
  • Epifluorescence microscopy was used to visualize viable and non-viable microcolonies.

Main Results:

  • HPV achieved a greater than 6-Log10 reduction of MDROs within 100 minutes.
  • Catalase-producing organisms showed reduced susceptibility, indicating potential resistance mechanisms.
  • Epifluorescence microscopy confirmed the presence of both viable and non-viable microcolonies post-treatment.

Conclusions:

  • HPV is an effective decontamination agent against MDRO biofilms.
  • The study proposes a viable methodology for assessing antimicrobial efficacy against biofilms.
  • Understanding biofilm resilience is crucial for effective infection control in healthcare environments.

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