Healthcare-associated infections, medical devices and biofilms: risk, tolerance and control

Biofilms and device-associated infections.

Microorganisms commonly attach to living and nonliving surfaces, including those of indwelling medical devices, and form biofilms made up of extracellular polymers. In this state, microorganisms are highly resistant to antimicrobial treatment and are tenaciously bound to the surface. To better understand and control biofilms on indwelling medical devices, researchers should develop reliable sam...

Waterborne microorganisms and biofilms related to hospital infections: strategies for prevention and control in healthcare facilities.

Water is the main stimulus for the development of microorganisms, and its flow has an important role in the spreading of contaminants. In hospitals, the water distribution system requires special attention since it can be a source of pathogens, including those in the form of biofilms often correlated with resistance of microorganisms to various treatments. In this paper, information relevant to...

Medical and healthcare devices: materials perspective

People are special. The importance and need for the research and development into medical and healthcare devices can never be overstated. In the 21st century, medical and healthcare devices play a more vital role in our lives than ever before. A wide range of materials are being used for producing numerous medical and healthcare devices for a variety of end use. In this manuscript, historical d...

Candida biofilms in medical devices: evolving trends.

he study of microorganisms since ages has been associated with their isolation and growth in pure culture and their subsequent identification down to their genes. This channel of study has been actively pursued in various scientific disciplines pertaining to anatomical, physiological and pathological aspects of microbes and the scientific research that is based on them. However, many microbes i...

Bacterial biofilms, antibiotic resistance and healthcare-associated infections: a dangerous connection