Biofilms on right heart flow-directed catheters.

Area of Science:

• Medical Microbiology
• Infectious Diseases
• Critical Care Medicine

Background:

• Right heart flow-directed catheters are frequently used in critically ill patients.
• Catheter-associated infections pose a significant risk in intensive care settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To detect and characterize biofilm and bacterial presence on removed right heart flow-directed catheters.
• To assess the combined efficacy of scanning electron microscopy and culture for pathogen detection.

Main Methods:

• Examination of 20 catheters from critically ill patients using scanning electron microscopy (SEM).
• Biofilm dispersion via sonication followed by microbial culture.
• Analysis of bacterial species identified through SEM and culture.

Main Results:

• All examined catheters (100%) exhibited biofilm coverage.
• Bacteria were visible on SEM in 50% of catheters.
• Microbial cultures identified common skin organisms, anaerobes, and potential pathogens in 40% of catheters.
• Combined SEM and culture detected bacteria in 75% of catheters.

Conclusions:

• Biofilm formation and bacterial adherence are prevalent on right heart flow-directed catheters.
• This bacterial colonization may be a significant factor in endogenous infections among critically ill patients.