ADHERENCE OF ORGANISMS TO SILVER-COATED SURFACES

Pure silver-, silver oxide- and silver chloride-treated surfaces in co mparison to polypropylene inhibited both growth and adherence from sal ine of Serratia marcescens, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Pseudomonas ae ruginosa and Candida albicans. These same organisms demonstrated enhan ced adherence to an lon-Beam-Assisted-Deposited silver surface followe d by loss of viability. This type of surface in contrast to the other silver surfaces did not produce zones of inhibition in agar diffusion tests.