IS IT POSSIBLE TO PREVENT BACTERIAL ADHESION ONTO URETERAL STENTS

The aim of this study was to determine whether the use of bactericidal coatings or immersion in antibiotic solution reduces or prevents bact erial adhesion onto ureteric stents. Precut segments of full silicone, silver-coated and hydrogel-coated ureteric stents were incubated with two uropathogenic bacterial strains with and without previous immersi on in antibiotic solution. Tobramycin, ceftriaxone and ciprofloxacin s olutions were used, as these antibiotics are commonly administered for the prophylaxis and treatment of urinary tract infection (UTI). Micro biological analysis showed that immersion of ureteric stents in ceftri axone and ciprofloxacin yielded a significant reduction of bacterial a dhesion, whereas immersion in tobramycin did not. The surface material of the stents had no direct influence on bacterial adhesion. In this experimental study, neither the silver nor the hydrogel coat reduced b acterial adhesion onto ureteric stents whereas immersion in a suitable antibiotic solution significantly reduced and even prevented this phe nomenon, probably due to the adhesion of the antibiotic onto the stent surface. Prevention of bacterial adhesion onto ureteric stents is ess ential to reduce the risk of UTI in connection with these devices.