Bactericidal Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE) urinary catheters: Microbiological characterization and effectiveness

This study investigated the antimicrobial efficacy of Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE) catheters containing triclosan at 0.10 wt.%, 0.50 wt.%, 1.00 wt.% and 1.50 wt.%. The catheters were characterized with the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and Agar Diffusion Tests. They were evaluated in terms of incrustation, biofilm formation and the efficiency of inhibition of bacterial growth after thirty days of lab tests with artificial urine. This research demonstrated the effectiveness of triclosan for inhibiting the growth of microorganisms when incorporated into long-term catheters. The antimicrobial efficiency and genotoxicity results demonstrate that 0.5 wt.% triclosan is the optimal concentration. The genotoxicity test results indicate that triclosan did not result in any significant alterations in the cellular DNA compared to the catheter without triclosan.