BACTERIAL ADHESION ON HYDROPHILIC HEPARINIZED CATHETERS, WITH COMPARED WITH ADHESION ON SILICONE CATHETERS, IN PATIENTS WITH MALIGNANT OBSTRUCTIVE-JAUNDICE

To study the inhibitory effects on bacterial adhesion of a newly devis ed, hydrophilic heparinized catheter to be used in patients with malig nant obstructive jaundice, a randomized controlled study of indwelling endoprostheses was performed, using implantable port-connected hepari nized catheters (n = 25) and silicone catheters (n = 21). Catheters wi thdrawn from patients were cultured for bacteria and examined by elect ron microscopy for the presence of adherent organisms. In vitro examin ation of the two type of catheters exposed to suspensions of Escherici a coli and Staphylococcus aureus was performed using electron microsco py and a luminometer. The formation of a biofilm coated with glycocaly ces was found in silicone catheters, but not in the heparinized cathet ers. In vitro experiments demonstrated little bacterial adhesion to th e heparinized surface, but significant formation of biofilm on the sil icone surface. Anionically charged heparinized catheters have inhibito ry effects on bacterial adhesion? and the surface charge of the cathet er may be a factor in inhibiting this adhesion.