Development of dual anti-biofilm and anti-bacterial medical devices.

The rising occurrence of antimicrobial resistance demands new strategies for delivering antibiotics to ensure their effective use. In this study, a multi-functional strategy to address medical device associated infections is explored whereby an anti-attachment and an antibacterial mechanism have been combined. Silicone catheters impregnated with multiple antibiotics are coated with polyacrylate coatings previously shown to reduce bacterial attachment and biofilm formation. Antibiotics are delivered through the applied coating and the delivery rate depends on the coating thickness and the calculated log P. Coated devices achieve a zone of inhibition and TK100 to Gram-negative Escherichia coli and Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus similar to those of uncoated devices, whilst maintaining anti-attachment properties. No adverse immunological responses of the coatings were observed. The multi-functional nature of the device developed in the study represents an important approach to combatting medical device associated infections.