Efficacy of common antiseptic solutions against clinically relevant microorganisms in biofilm

Periprosthetic joint infections (PJIs) are among the most devastating complications after joint arthroplasty. There is limited evidence on the efficacy of different antiseptic solutions on reducing biofilm burden. The purpose of the present study was to test the efficacy of different antiseptic solutions against clinically relevant microorganisms in biofilm.

We conducted an in vitro study examining the efficacy of several antiseptic solutions against clinically relevant microorganisms. We tested antiseptic irrigants against nascent (four-hour) and mature (three-day) single-species biofilm created in vitro using a drip-flow reactor model.

With regard to irrigant efficacy against biofilms, Povidone-iodine treatment resulted in greater reductions in nascent MRSA biofilms (logarithmic reduction (LR) = 3.12; p < 0.001) compared to other solutions. Bactisure treatment had the greatest reduction of mature Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms (LR = 1.94; p = 0.032) and a larger reduction than Vashe or Irrisept for mature Staphylococcus epidermidis biofilms (LR = 2.12; p = 0.025). Pooled data for all biofilms tested resulted in Bactisure and Povidone-iodine with significantly greater reductions compared to Vashe, Prontosan, and Irrisept solutions (p < 0.001).

Treatment failure in PJI is often due to failure to clear the biofilm; antiseptics are often used as an adjunct to biofilm clearance. We tested irrigants against clinically relevant microorganisms in biofilm in vitro and showed significant differences in efficacy among the different solutions. Further clinical outcome data is necessary to determine whether these solutions can impact PJI outcome in vivo. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2021;103-B(5):908-915.