Biofilms on medical instruments and surfaces: Do they interfere with instrument reprocessing and surface disinfection

Biofilms are surface-attached communities of bacteria embedded in an extracellular matrix. This matrix shields the resident cells from desiccation, chemical perturbation, invasion by other bacteria, and confers reduced susceptibility to antibiotics and disinfectants. There is growing evidence that biofilms on medical instruments (especially endoscopes) and environmental surfaces interfere with cleaning and disinfection.

The English literature on the impact of biofilms in medicine was reviewed with a focus on the impact of biofilms on reusable semicritical medical instruments and hospital environmental surfaces.

Biofilms are frequently present on hospital environmental surfaces and reusable medical equipment. Important health care...associated pathogens that readily form biofilms on environmental surfaces include Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Candida auris. Evidence has demonstrated that biofilms interfere with cleaning and disinfection.

New technologies such as ..úself-disinfecting..Ñ surfaces or continuous room disinfection systems may reduce or disrupt biofilm formation and are under study to reduce the impact of the contaminated surface environment on health care...associated infections.

Future research is urgently needed to develop methods to reduce or eliminate biofilms from forming on implantable medical devices, reusable medical equipment, and hospital surfaces.