Promising silicones modified with cationic biocides for the development of antimicrobial medical devices.

We have tested silicones containing 2% or 5% of the cationic biocides polyhexamethylene guanidine dodecylbenzenesulfonate (PHMG-DBS), 1-octyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (OMIM-BF) or 1-dodecyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (DMIM-BF) against the major relevant bacterial and yeast species in health care-associated infections (HCAI). Study conducted according to the international standard ISO 22196 revealed that silicones containing 2% or 5% DMIM-BF or 5% PHMG-DBS presented the highest antimicrobial activity, leading to a logarithmic growth reduction of 3.03 to 6.