Adherence of bacteria to urinary catheters

The adherence of 3H-labelled gram-negative bacilli to different urinary catheter materials was studied using an in vitro method. Adherence was found to be significantly less to siliconized rubber than to pure latex or teflon coated rubber. Adherence was altered by variations in incubation pH, time, and bacterial concentration; however, incubation temperature did not affect results. Adherence of bacteria to urinary tract catheters may be part of the pathogenesis of certain catheter-related infections. However, in the absence of controlled clinical studies the significance of these findings remains to be determined.