An in vitro study of the efficacy of rifampicin and minocycline coated umbilical venous catheters

The use of antibiotic coated catheters has been proposed as a means of redu cing catheter related sepsis. In this study, an in vitro comparison of bact erial colonisation rates was made between uncoated umbilical venous cathete rs and catheters coated with rifampicin and minocycline. The following para meters were determined; the direct antimicrobial effect of coated and uncoa ted catheter segments against a range of organisms associated with line sep sis, the assessment of the decline in antimicrobial activity in coated cath eters immersed in plasma and the inhibitory efficacy of the catheters to co lonisation over a 28-day period. Minocycline and rifampicin coated umbilica l catheters showed a superior inhibitory effect and prevented colonisation with the commoner line-related organisms, when compared with uncoated cathe ters. The inhibitory effect declined after 14 days in the human plasma. Res istance to colonisation in vitro may not extend beyond 21 days. (C) 2001 El sevier Science B.V. and International Society of Chemotherapy All rights re served.