title: Silver iontophoretic catheter: a prototype of a long-term antiinfective vascular access device.
abstract: A silver iontophoretic catheter (SIC) was developed consisting of two electrically charged parallel silver wires helically wrapped around the proximal segment of a vascular catheter. In vitro and in vivo activities of this catheter were compared with those of an aseptic catheter coated with chlorhexidine and silver sulfadiazine (CH/SS). The SIC demonstrated broad-spectrum in vitro inhibitory activity against bacteria and Candida albicans comparable to that of the CH/SS-coated catheter. The durability of activity was determined by incubating catheters in serum at 37 degrees C for various time intervals. After 30 days, the antimicrobial activity of the SIC did not change significantly, while that of the CH/SS-coated catheter was reduced to a suboptimal level. In a rabbit model, the SIC was safe and significantly more efficacious than the CH/SS-coated catheter in preventing colonization with Staphylococcus aureus (P < .05). The SIC has broad-spectrum inhibitory activity of long durability and is highly efficacious in preventing colonization in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Specialties, University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston 77030, USA.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Raad
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hachem
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zermeno
authors.forename: L C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Stephens
authors.forename: G P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Bodey
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local / Q000494:pharmacology; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects*; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000187:drug effects*; D002405:Catheterization, Central Venous / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D002408:Catheters, Indwelling / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000382:microbiology; D002710:Chlorhexidine / Q000494:pharmacology; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D004338:Drug Combinations; D007478:Iontophoresis; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D011817:Rabbits; D012834:Silver; D012837:Silver Sulfadiazine / Q000494:pharmacology; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local; D004338:Drug Combinations; D012834:Silver; D002710:Chlorhexidine; D012837:Silver Sulfadiazine