Evaluation of Polyethylene Glycol-Based Antimicrobial Coatings on Urinary Catheters in the Prevention of Infections in a Rabbit Model.

Catheter-associated urinary tract infections are a major cause of patient morbidity and mortality. Despite many attempts to design biomaterials that might reduce the risk, none has had a profound impact on reducing the incidence of this most common nosocomial infection. Recent work, however, has shown promise for a silver-based biomaterial coating composed of methoxylated polyethylene glycol 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (mPEG-DOPA) in reducing uropathogen attachment and biofilm formation.

Application of Novel 3,4-Dihydroxyphenylalanine-Containing Antimicrobial Polymers for the Prevention of Uropathogen Attachment to Urinary Biomaterials.

Urinary catheters and stents are frequently prone to catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) through biofilm formation. Several strategies have been evaluated in search of a stent coating to reliably prevent adherence of bacteria and biofilm. Previous and research with methoxylated polyethylene glycol 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) copolymer as a candidate coating showed promising results to reduce the bacterial attachment.