The aim of this study was to compare the in vitro activity and the impact on bacterial adhesion of two different catheters, one impregnated with chlorhexidine-silver sulfadiazine (C-SS) and the other not impregnated with antibacterial agents. The antimicrobial coating prevented the bacterial colonization by slime positive Staphylococcus epidermidis in the first two days. The antibacterial activ...

Peripheral nerve catheters are effective and well-established tools to provide postoperative analgesia to patients undergoing orthopedic surgery. The performance of these techniques is usually considered safe. However, placement of nerve catheters may be associated with a considerable number of side effects and major complications have repeatedly been published. In this work, we report on a pat...

The records of 64 children who underwent acute peritoneal dialysis in the Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, between 1 January 1982 and 31 December 1985 were reviewed. Rigid Trocath catheters were used in 33 patients and silastic Tenckhoff catheters in 34. The groups were comparable for age, weight, primary disease, duration of dialysis, and outcome. There were no significant differences in t...

This study was designed to detect biofilm and bacteria on right heart flow-directed catheters using scanning electron microscopy and culture following scraping and dispersion of biofilm by sonication. We examined 20 consecutive catheters removed from 18 critically ill patients, an average of 2.6 days after insertion. On scanning electron microscopy, all catheters were found to be covered by a b...

OBJECTIVES To determine whether a single treatment with ethanol/water (70:30) will sterilize infected vascular catheters. METHODS A double-blinded, block-randomized trial was conducted in a sheep model comparing the efficacy of one 3 h treatment with ethanol/water (70:30) with heparinized saline for treatment of Hickman vascular catheters infected with Staphylococcus epidermidis. Catheters we...